Final answer:
When water attracts and surrounds charged or polar solutes, it forms hydration shells. The polar nature of water allows it to dissolve ionic compounds, like NaCl, by creating spheres of hydration that keep the ions separated in solution.
Step-by-step explanation:
Water is attracted to charged or polar solutes, forming hydration shells around them. Due to water's polar nature, when an ionic compound such as table salt (NaCl) is dissolved, the sodium (Na+) and chloride (Cl-) ions are surrounded by water molecules in a process called dissociation. Each ion is enveloped by water molecules that form a sphere of hydration. The oxygen ends of the water molecules, which carry a slight negative charge, align around the positively charged sodium ions, and the hydrogen ends, with their slight positive charge, align around the negatively charged chloride ions. These hydration shells serve to keep the ions dispersed in solution, allowing them to exist free and separated from their counter-ions.