Sodium chloride is soluble in nonpolar solvents such as octane (C8H18)
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
Sodium chloride (NaCl) is not soluble in nonpolar solvents such as octane (C8H18). This is because solubility depends on the nature of the solvent and the solute. Sodium chloride is an ionic compound, meaning it consists of positively charged sodium ions (Na⁺) and negatively charged chloride ions (Cl⁻). These ions are held together by strong electrostatic forces known as ionic bonds.
For a substance to dissolve, the interactions between the solute and solvent molecules must be strong enough to overcome the forces between the solute particles. In polar solvents like water, the dipole-dipole interactions between the solvent molecules and the ions in NaCl help to break the ionic bonds. Water molecules, due to their polarity, surround the Na⁺ and Cl⁻ ions and stabilize them, leading to the dissociation of NaCl into its constituent ions and its dissolution in water.
Nonpolar solvents like octane, on the other hand, lack significant dipole-dipole interactions or ion-dipole interactions. The molecules of octane are nonpolar and cannot interact effectively with the charged ions in NaCl. As a result, the electrostatic attraction between the sodium and chloride ions remains much stronger than any interaction that could form between NaCl and octane molecules. Therefore, NaCl does not dissolve in octane.
In summary, the key reason why NaCl is not soluble in nonpolar solvents such as octane is the lack of interaction between the ions of NaCl and the nonpolar molecules of octane, making it impossible for NaCl to dissociate and dissolve in such solvents.
