Like Dissolves Like — and Why

You'll learnwhy dissolving happens only when new solute–solvent attractions repay the attractions broken.

Salt vanishes into water. Oil refuses, and no amount of stirring changes its mind. Follow the attractions and you can say exactly why — and why the verdict flips the moment you swap the solvent. Eleven short steps; press Next for each one.

11 STEPS · 6 QUICK CHECKS · SALT, OIL, WATER, HEXANE · v3

salt goes in · oil will not · the attractions decide

Before you start

What you're looking at

One beaker of water holding two things: a small salt crystal, and a bead of oil.

The question

Why does the water let the salt in and shut the oil out?

Step 1 / 11