Final answer:
Water (H₂O) is a polar solvent, suitable for dissolving polar substances, while carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄) is a nonpolar solvent, which dissolves nonpolar substances like iodine (I₂) more efficiently due to the 'like dissolves like' principle.
Step-by-step explanation:
The two solvents mentioned are water (H₂O) and carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄). Water is a polar solvent, which means it has a partial positive charge at one end and a partial negative charge at the other, allowing it to dissolve other polar substances effectively. In contrast, carbon tetrachloride is a nonpolar solvent because its molecular structure does not have a significant charge difference across its molecules, making it suitable for dissolving nonpolar substances.
In the context of the experiment involving the solubility of iodine (I₂), iodine would be more soluble in carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄) rather than water (H₂O). This is due to the 'like dissolves like' principle, where nonpolar solvents best dissolve nonpolar solutes, and polar solvents are more effective at dissolving polar solutes. Since iodine is a nonpolar molecule without a significant charge difference, it is less likely to dissolve in the polar solvent water and more likely to dissolve in the nonpolar solvent carbon tetrachloride.