Question

'Water is universal solvent' . Comment.

Answer 1

Water is called the universal solvent because of its ability to dissolve or dissociate most compounds. It can do this because of its polarity. Oxygen has a higher electronegativity (meaning a stronger affinity for electrons) than Hydrogen so the oxygen side of a water molecule is slightly negative and the hydrogen side is slightly positive. In a solution, the positive hydrogen side of the water is attracted to the negative parts of the compound it is dissolving while the negative oxygen is attracted to the positive parts. This allows water to dissociate and break apart ionic compounds