Why would hexane dissolve benzene but will not dissolve sodium chloride?
Is it because sodium chloride is an IONIC salt, and hexane is nonpolar?
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Hexane is a nonpolar solvent, while benzene is a nonpolar compound. Nonpolar solvents have similar intermolecular forces as nonpolar compounds, which allows them to dissolve each other.
On the other hand, sodium chloride is an ionic compound composed of charged particles, sodium cations (Na+) and chloride anions (Cl-). Ionic compounds are held together by strong electrostatic forces of attraction between oppositely charged ions. These forces are much stronger than the intermolecular forces present in nonpolar solvents like hexane.
Therefore, hexane's weak intermolecular forces are not strong enough to overcome the strong ionic bonds in sodium chloride. As a result, hexane cannot dissolve sodium chloride.