Nonpolar molecules like gasoline have limited solubility in water due to dispersion forces, which differ from the polar interactions in water. This discrepancy in intermolecular forces follows the principle that like dissolves like.
The limited solubility of nonpolar molecules like gasoline (CgH18) in water is due to the intermolecular force known as dispersion forces, also referred to as London dispersion forces. These are the weakest type of van der Waals forces that arise due to temporary fluctuations in the electron distributions within nonpolar molecules, resulting in temporary dipole moments that induce similar dipoles in adjacent molecules. Gasoline molecules and water molecules do not experience the same type of intermolecular forces, which explains why gasoline only has limited solubility in water. This finding supports the general rule that like dissolves like, where solutes with similar intermolecular forces to the solvent are more likely to dissolve.
Nonpolar substances do not dissolve well in polar solvents like water because they lack the necessary polar or ionic character to interact effectively with the solvent molecules. In contrast, polar substances, such as salt (NaCl), dissolve well in water due to strong ion-dipole interactions that occur when water molecules surround and stabilize the dissociated ions.