Multiple Choice
Which of the following compounds would be expected to be the most soluble in water?
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6. Chemical Quantities & Aqueous Reactions
Solubility Rules
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Which of the following occurs when solid sodium chloride (NaCl) dissolves in water?
A
NaCl forms a precipitate at the bottom of the container.
B
NaCl reacts with water to form NaOH and HCl.
C
NaCl remains as undissociated molecules in solution.
D
NaCl dissociates into Na^+ and Cl^- ions that become surrounded by water molecules.
Verified step by step guidance1
Understand the nature of ionic compounds like sodium chloride (NaCl). NaCl is composed of Na^+ (sodium) and Cl^- (chloride) ions held together by ionic bonds in a solid lattice.
When NaCl is added to water, a polar solvent, the water molecules interact with the ions. The partially negative oxygen atoms in water molecules are attracted to Na^+ ions, and the partially positive hydrogen atoms are attracted to Cl^- ions.
This interaction causes the ionic lattice to break apart, a process called dissociation, where NaCl separates into its constituent ions: Na^+ and Cl^-.
Each ion becomes surrounded by water molecules in a process called hydration or solvation, which stabilizes the ions in solution and prevents them from recombining immediately.
Therefore, the correct description of what happens when NaCl dissolves in water is that it dissociates into Na^+ and Cl^- ions, which are then surrounded by water molecules.
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