Why will hexane dissolve benzene but will not dissolve sodium chloride?
like dissolves like. polar solvent dissolves polar substances and non polar solvent dissolves non polar substances.
Hexane is a nonpolar organic solvent, while both benzene and hexane are nonpolar compounds. Nonpolar substances are generally soluble in each other because there is no significant difference in the electronegativity between the atoms in the molecules and therefore, there are no significant intermolecular forces acting between the molecules.
On the other hand, sodium chloride (NaCl) is an ionic compound made up of sodium ions (Na+) and chloride ions (Cl-). Ionic compounds are held together by strong electrostatic forces of attraction between oppositely charged ions. In the case of sodium chloride, the sodium ions are positively charged, and the chloride ions are negatively charged. As a result, sodium chloride dissociates into individual ions (Na+ and Cl-) when it is dissolved in a solvent like water.
Hexane, being a nonpolar solvent, doesn't have the ability to dissolve ionic compounds like sodium chloride. The nonpolar nature of hexane means that there are no charges available to interact with the charged ions of sodium chloride. In other words, hexane lacks the polarity needed to break the strong ionic bonds in sodium chloride and solubilize it.
In summary, hexane can dissolve benzene because both are nonpolar substances, allowing them to mix and form a solution. However, hexane cannot dissolve sodium chloride because it is an ionic compound with charged ions, and hexane being nonpolar, cannot interact with these charged ions to dissolve the salt.
Hexane is a nonpolar solvent, meaning it has no charge separation or polarity. Benzene is also a nonpolar compound, which allows hexane to effectively dissolve it. However, sodium chloride is an ionic compound composed of positively charged sodium ions (Na+) and negatively charged chloride ions (Cl-). The bonds between these ions are strong and require interactions with other charged particles to break.
Since hexane lacks any charge separation or polarity, it does not have the ability to effectively separate the Na+ and Cl- ions in sodium chloride. Without the ability to solvate the ions and break the ionic bonds, hexane cannot dissolve sodium chloride.