Concept:Water is called the universal solvent mainly because its polar structure lets it dissolve a very wide range of substances.
Explanation:A water molecule,
H2O, is made of one oxygen atom and two hydrogen atoms in a bent shape.
Oxygen is more electronegative than hydrogen, so it attracts the shared electrons more strongly.
This makes the oxygen end slightly negative (
δ−) and the hydrogen ends slightly positive (
δ+).
These partial charges attract and surround both ionic and polar molecules.
As water molecules cluster around a solute, they pull its particles apart and keep them suspended as a solution.
Because water can dissolve so many different types of substances, it is known as the universal solvent.
This property is vital for biological and chemical processes.
Answer:D. Water can dissolve a wide variety of substances due to its polar nature.