Why don't oil and water mix?
Water is what they refer to as a very "polar" molecule. That means it has a "electrical charge" associated with it. Sort of like a magnetic.
Oil on the other hand has no charge, it's completely neutral.
Now if I take two magnetics and put them near each other, they'll bind together. Water molecules behave the same way. Because they're little magnets they'll "bind" together.
So when you mix oil with water, all the water molecules get attacted to each other and essentially "push out" all the oil molecules, causing the separation you see.
i hope that helps
Thank you Kristi, I really appreciate your response.
Oil and water do not mix because they have different molecular structures and polarities. To understand this, it's important to know that molecules can be classified as polar or non-polar.
Water molecules are polar, which means they have a partial positive charge at one end (the hydrogen atoms) and a partial negative charge at the other end (the oxygen atom). This polarity allows water molecules to form hydrogen bonds with each other, resulting in a cohesive and stable structure.
On the other hand, oil molecules are non-polar. They consist of long chains of carbon atoms with hydrogen atoms attached to them. This structure results in a fairly uniform distribution of charge, with no distinct positive or negative ends. As a result, oil molecules do not have the ability to form hydrogen bonds with water molecules.
Since oil and water have different polarities, they do not attract each other. When oil is mixed with water, the oil molecules clump together and form separate droplets or layers due to their cohesive nature. This separation is due to the principle that "like dissolves like" – substances with similar polarities tend to mix, while those with different polarities tend to separate.
So, in summary, oil and water don't mix because oil is non-polar and water is polar, resulting in a lack of attraction and the formation of distinct layers or droplets.