Question

Explain the following:

Electrovalent compounds dissolve in water whereas covalent compounds do not.

Answer 1

Electrovalent compounds dissolve in water because the strong electrostatic forces between oppositely charged ions are weakened by the polar water molecules, allowing the ions to separate and dissolve.

Covalent compounds, which are composed of neutral molecules, do not interact strongly enough with polar water molecules to break apart and dissolve, making them generally insoluble in water.