Question

How do water molecules encourage solvation? Can you explain how calcium cations remain dissolved in water ?

Answer 1

Water molecules are made up of one positively charged hydrogen atom and two negatively charged oxygen atoms. Water is called as universal solvent because it is able to dissolve the maximum number of molecules in it than any other chemical. It is because of two reasons, hydrogen bonding and solvation layer.

Hydrogen bonding is the ability of water molecules to form hydrogen bond between hydrogen of water molecules and an electronegative atom of another molecule and this helps in the dissolution of other compounds in water.

Solvation layer is the layer of positively charged hydrogen atoms around negatively charged atom of the other molecule and layer of negatively charged oxygen atoms around positively charged atom of the other molecule. This is also called as hydration shell and is responsible for the dissolution of charged molecules in water.

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