Question

The principal reason for the extremely low solubility of NaCl in benzene (C6H6) is the due to:

A) weak solvation of Na+ and Cl- by C₆H₆
B) strong solvent-solvent interactions
C) strength of the covalent bond in NaCl
D) hydrogen bonding in C₆H₆
E) increased disorder due to mixing of solute and solvent

Answer 1

The low solubility of NaCl in benzene is due to benzene's nonpolarity, which results in weak solvation of the ionic Na+ and Cl- due to the lack of strong intermolecular forces like ion-dipole attractions.

Step-by-step explanation:

The principal reason for the extremely low solubility of NaCl in benzene (C6H6) is due to weak solvation of Na+ and Cl- by C6H6. Benzene is a nonpolar solvent and intermolecular forces play a critical role in solubility. NaCl is ionic and highly polar, so it dissolves well in polar solvents like water due to strong ion-dipole interactions. In benzene, which is nonpolar, the solvent molecules cannot adequately stabilize the Na+ and Cl- ions because there is a lack of appropriate intermolecular forces such as ion-dipole attractions that would be found in a polar solvent.