Water As A Solvent And Hard Water Notes Quiz

Water is a universal solvent because it is polar. This means that the oxygen atom in water has a slightly negative charge, while the hydrogen atoms have a slightly positive charge. This polarity allows water molecules to attract and surround solute molecules, breaking them apart and dissolving them. Due to its polar nature, water can dissolve more substances than any other liquid, making it a universal solvent.

The explanation provided correctly states that hard water contains dissolved minerals, metals, and ions in the form of carbonates. It also states that the simplest way to determine if water is hard or soft is the lather test. This test involves agitating the water and observing whether toothpaste or soap will lather up. The lather test is a common method for determining water hardness as the presence of dissolved minerals in hard water can interfere with the lathering ability of soap or toothpaste.

When flour is mixed into water, it forms a suspension. The particles of flour disperse throughout the water, creating a mixture. However, over time, the flour particles will settle down due to gravity, resulting in the flour eventually settling out at the bottom of the container. This behavior is due to the larger size and weight of the flour particles compared to the water molecules, causing them to separate and settle.

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Hard water contains calcium and magnesium ions, which are positively charged. Cations are positively charged ions, so the correct answer is that these hard water cations are positively charged ions.

Water softeners work by using a specially prepared bead that is saturated with sodium ions. When high calcium/magnesium water enters the softener, the hardness minerals in the water attach themselves to the sodium ion beads and are exchanged for the sodium ions. This process removes the calcium/magnesium from the water and replaces them with sodium ions, effectively softening the water.

The electrical attraction between sodium ions (Na+) and chloride ions (Cl-) results in a crystalline arrangement. This is because the positive sodium ions are attracted to the negative chloride ions, forming a repeating pattern in a three-dimensional lattice structure. This arrangement is characteristic of ionic compounds, where the strong electrostatic forces between oppositely charged ions create a stable and orderly arrangement.

The presence of calcium and magnesium cations in hard water leads to the formation of insoluble salt deposits. These ionic minerals have a positive charge, which makes it difficult for water to dissolve solutes like soap. This explains why hard water is less effective in cleaning and can leave soap scum or residue behind.

Water is considered a universal solvent because it has the ability to dissolve a wide variety of substances. This property makes it vulnerable to pollution because as water comes into contact with pollutants, it can easily dissolve and carry them along. This allows pollutants to spread and contaminate larger bodies of water, making it difficult to remove them and causing harm to aquatic ecosystems and human health.

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