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When mixed with water, two substances exhibit different behaviors:

Substance 1: This substance separates and floats on top of the water.
Substance 2: This substance sinks to the bottom and remains unchanged.

Which statement accurately describes the solubility of these substances?

A. Substance 1 is soluble, Substance 2 is insoluble.
B. Substance 2 is soluble. Both substances are insoluble.
C. Both substances are soluble.

1 Answer

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Final answer:

Substance 1 is immiscible and floats on water, and Substance 2 is insoluble and sinks in water. Therefore, both substances are insoluble.

Step-by-step explanation:

Based on the behaviors of Substance 1 and Substance 2 when mixed with water, we can deduce their solubility. Substance 1, which separates and floats on top of the water, is likely immiscible with the water, which means it does not mix into the water to form a solution, and therefore it is insoluble. On the other hand, Substance 2, which sinks and remains unchanged, is also insoluble because it does not dissolve into the water either.

Solubility is a measure of how well a substance can dissolve in a solvent, with water being the most common solvent in such discussions. For instance, sodium chloride (table salt), which dissolves well in water, is considered soluble. Substances such as n-butanol have limited solubility - they are partially miscible, which means the substance can only dissolve up to a certain amount. Substances like n-Hexane, which do not dissolve in water, are immiscible and therefore insoluble.

Therefore, the correct description of the solubility of these substances is that both Substance 1 and Substance 2 are insoluble in water.

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