Final answer:
Electrolytes are substances that dissolve in water to yield ions, while nonelectrolytes do not produce ions. The solubility of a substance is determined by its intermolecular forces and is quantified as its maximum concentration in a solution. Water, being polar, is an excellent solvent for ionic and polar substances.
Step-by-step explanation:
Substances that dissolve in water to yield ions are called electrolytes. Electrolytes may be covalent compounds that chemically react with water to produce ions (for example, acids and bases), or they may be ionic compounds that dissociate to yield their constituent cations and anions, when dissolved. Soluble ionic substances and strong acids ionize completely and are strong electrolytes, while weak acids and bases ionize to only a small extent and are weak electrolytes. Nonelectrolytes are substances that do not produce ions when dissolved in water.
The extent to which one substance will dissolve in another is determined by several factors, including the types and relative strengths of intermolecular attractive forces that may exist between the substances' atoms, ions, or molecules. This tendency to dissolve is quantified as a substance's solubility, its maximum concentration in a solution at equilibrium under specified conditions.
Water is an excellent solvent as it is polar, with slight positive and negative charges. Ionic compounds and polar molecules can readily dissolve in water due to the formation of hydrogen bonds with the surrounding water molecules.