Ammonia is very soluble in water. Why?
NH3 has a pair of unpaired electrons to which a hydrogen ion can add.
The solubility of ammonia (NH3) in water can be attributed to its ability to form hydrogen bonds with water molecules. When ammonia is mixed with water, the partial negative charges on the oxygen atoms of water molecules attract the partial positive charge on the hydrogen atom of ammonia, forming hydrogen bonds.
Ammonia has a lone pair of electrons on the nitrogen atom. These electrons are available to form a hydrogen bond with the partially positive hydrogen atom of a water molecule. This interaction between the lone pair of electrons on ammonia and the hydrogen atom of water leads to the formation of a stable solute-solvent complex.
Furthermore, ammonia is a polar molecule due to the difference in electronegativity between nitrogen and hydrogen atoms, which gives it a partial positive charge on the hydrogen atoms and a partial negative charge on the nitrogen atom. This polarity allows ammonia molecules to interact with water molecules and dissolve easily.
To determine why ammonia is soluble in water, one can consider factors such as the ability of ammonia to form hydrogen bonds and its polarity, which allows for favorable interactions with water molecules. Additionally, understanding the molecular structure and properties of both ammonia and water can help explain their solubility behavior.