Final answer:
Hydrogen fluoride dissolves in water because both substances are polar molecules, allowing them to interact through hydrogen bonding which results in HF's dissolution. So the correct option is d.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student's question is: Which statement correctly explains why hydrogen fluoride dissolves in water? The correct answer is d. Hydrogen fluoride is polar and water is polar.
Both water (H₂O) and hydrogen fluoride (HF) are polar molecules. In water, oxygen has a higher electronegativity than hydrogen, creating a dipole where the oxygen end is slightly negative and the hydrogen ends are slightly positive. Hydrogen fluoride has a similar situation where fluorine, being highly electronegative, pulls the bonding electrons towards itself, creating a strong dipole with a positive hydrogen end and a negative fluorine end.
Since like dissolves like, it means that polar solvents like water can dissolve other polar substances. This is because the partial positive and negative charges found in polar molecules can interact and stabilize one another. When hydrogen fluoride dissolves in water, hydrogen bonds form between the hydrogen of water and the fluorine of hydrogen fluoride, facilitating the dissolution process.