Which of the following is least likely to dissolve in the polar solvent water? oil, salt, sugar, ethanol.
Salt, sugar and ethanol will dissolve because they are themselves polar, so the best answer is oil.
Which of the following is LEAST likely to dissolve in water?
Oil is least likely to dissolve in the polar solvent water.
To determine which substance is least likely to dissolve in water, we need to consider the polarity of each substance and the nature of water as a polar solvent.
Oil is a nonpolar substance, meaning it does not have positive or negative charges within its molecules. Since water is a polar solvent, which means it has positive and negative charges within its molecules, oil is least likely to dissolve in water. This is because polar solvents like water tend to dissolve other polar substances and repel nonpolar substances like oil.
On the other hand, both salt and sugar are polar substances, consisting of positive and negative charges within their molecules. As water is a polar solvent, it will attract the charges of salt and sugar and facilitate their dissolution.
Ethanol is also a polar substance and, like salt and sugar, is likely to dissolve in water due to its polar nature. Ethanol contains both polar and nonpolar parts in its molecules, but the presence of the polar part allows it to dissolve in water.
In conclusion, oil is least likely to dissolve in water compared to salt, sugar, and ethanol, all of which are polar substances and more likely to dissolve in water.