Chemistry / Chem 1523 · Atom · ~20 seconds

"Like Dissolves Like" as a Structural Heuristic

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"Like dissolves like" is a heuristic, not a strict law: polar solvents favor polar solutes, nonpolar solvents favor nonpolar ones.

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Oil and water stay separate because water's hydrogen bonds outcompete any attraction either liquid could form with the other.

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This heuristic predicts trends, not certainties — some polar and nonpolar pairs dissolve partially instead.