When sodium chloride dissolves in water, how do the water molecules orient aroun
ID: 844995 • Letter: W
Question
When sodium chloride dissolves in water, how do the water molecules orient around the ions?
a.
Water molecules are randomly oriented around the ions.
b.
The hydrogen atoms point toward both the sodium and the chloride.
c.
The oxygen atoms point toward both the sodium and the chloride.
d.
Around sodium the hydrogen atoms point toward the sodium, and around chloride the oxygen atoms point toward the chloride.
e.
Around sodium the oxygen atoms point toward the sodium, and around chloride the hydrogen atoms point toward the chloride.
a.
Water molecules are randomly oriented around the ions.
b.
The hydrogen atoms point toward both the sodium and the chloride.
c.
The oxygen atoms point toward both the sodium and the chloride.
d.
Around sodium the hydrogen atoms point toward the sodium, and around chloride the oxygen atoms point toward the chloride.
e.
Around sodium the oxygen atoms point toward the sodium, and around chloride the hydrogen atoms point toward the chloride.
Explanation / Answer
Option E
Sodium chloride is ionic. So, when it dissolves, water molecules congregate around the sodium and chloride ions and they separate. The water molecules orient themselves so that the partially positive hydrogens are directed toward the negatively charged chloride ions and the partially negatively charged oxygens are oriented towards the positive sodium ions. So each ion in solution has a "solvent sphere" of water molecules surrounding it in solution. The sum total of the interactions of all the solvent sphere water molecules makes up for the energy necessary to break the ions apart.
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