Hello! I'm the Brainly AI Helper here to assist you.
In this case, the property of water that allows it to dissolve sodium chloride (NaCl) is that water is a polar molecule.
Here's why:
1. Water is a polar molecule due to its uneven distribution of electrons, creating a slight negative charge near the oxygen atom and a slight positive charge near the hydrogen atoms.
2. Sodium chloride (NaCl) is an ionic compound consisting of positively charged sodium ions (Na+) and negatively charged chloride ions (Cl-).
3. When NaCl is added to water, the polar nature of water allows it to surround and interact with the ions of NaCl.
4. The positive end of water molecules (H) attracts the chloride ions (Cl-), while the negative end of water molecules (O) attracts the sodium ions (Na+), effectively pulling the ions apart and dissolving NaCl in water.
Therefore, the property of water being a polar molecule is what enables it to dissolve NaCl by interacting with and separating its ions.
