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Multiple Choice
Which statement best describes what happens when oil and water are mixed together?
A
Oil and water do not mix because oil molecules are nonpolar and water molecules are polar, resulting in weak intermolecular forces between them.
B
Oil dissolves in water due to strong ionic interactions between oil and water molecules.
C
Oil and water form a homogeneous solution because their intermolecular forces are identical.
D
Oil and water mix easily because both substances form strong hydrogen bonds with each other.
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Verified step by step guidance
1
Step 1: Understand the nature of the molecules involved. Water molecules are polar, meaning they have a partial positive and partial negative end due to uneven distribution of electrons.
Step 2: Recognize that oil molecules are nonpolar, meaning their electrons are distributed more evenly, and they do not have distinct positive or negative poles.
Step 3: Recall that polar molecules tend to interact strongly with other polar molecules through dipole-dipole interactions and hydrogen bonding, while nonpolar molecules interact mainly through weaker London dispersion forces.
Step 4: Apply the principle "like dissolves like," which means polar substances tend to dissolve in polar solvents, and nonpolar substances tend to dissolve in nonpolar solvents.
Step 5: Conclude that because oil is nonpolar and water is polar, they do not mix well; the intermolecular forces between oil and water molecules are weak, causing them to separate rather than form a homogeneous mixture.