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Q91 (IAS/2021) Science & Technology › Basic Science (Physics, Chemistry, Biology) › Basic chemical principles Official Key

Water can dissolve more substances than any other liquid because

Result
Your answer: —  ·  Correct: A
Explanation

The correct answer is Option 1. Water is often referred to as the "universal solvent" primarily due to its dipolar nature.

A water molecule (H2O) has a polar covalent bond where the oxygen atom carries a partial negative charge and the hydrogen atoms carry partial positive charges. This polarity allows water to:

  • Attract and surround both positively and negatively charged ions (electrolytes).
  • Break the electrostatic forces holding salts together, leading to their dissolution.
  • Form hydrogen bonds with other polar substances like sugars and alcohols.

Regarding other options: Specific heat and thermal conductivity (Options 2 and 3) relate to water's thermal regulation properties, not its solvency. Being an oxide of hydrogen (Option 4) is a chemical description but does not inherently explain its unique ability to dissolve a vast range of solutes compared to other liquids.

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Don’t just practise – reverse-engineer the question. This panel shows where this PYQ came from (books / web), how the examiner broke it into hidden statements, and which nearby micro-concepts you were supposed to learn from it. Treat it like an autopsy of the question: what might have triggered it, which exact lines in the book matter, and what linked ideas you should carry forward to future questions.
Q. Water can dissolve more substances than any other liquid because [A] it is dipolar in nature [B] it is a good conductor of heat [C] it…
At a glance
Origin: Mostly Current Affairs Fairness: Low / Borderline fairness Books / CA: 0/10 · 10/10
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This is a classic 'First Principles' General Science question. It tests the fundamental 'Why' behind a common fact (Water = Universal Solvent). While thermal properties (B, C) are true, they don't explain solubility. The key lies in distinguishing between a substance's thermal behavior and its molecular interaction mechanism.

How this question is built

This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.

Statement 1
Does water's dipolar (polar) nature explain why water dissolves more substances than any other liquid?
Origin: Web / Current Affairs Fairness: CA heavy Web-answerable

Web source
Presence: 5/5
"Water, which not only dissolves many compounds but also dissolves more substances than any other liquid, is considered the universal solvent. A polar molecule with partially-positive and negative charges, it readily dissolves ions and polar molecules."
Why this source?
  • Explicitly calls water the "universal solvent" that "dissolves more substances than any other liquid."
  • States water is "a polar molecule with partially-positive and negative charges" and that it "readily dissolves ions and polar molecules," linking polarity to dissolving ability.
Web source
Presence: 5/5
"Generally speaking, water is good at dissolving ions and polar molecules, but poor at dissolving nonpolar molecules. Water molecules are polar, with partial positive charges on the hydrogens, a partial negative charge on the oxygen, and a bent overall structure."
Why this source?
  • Explains that water is polar with partial charges on H and O, giving the molecular basis for polarity.
  • States water is good at dissolving ions and polar molecules but poor at dissolving nonpolar molecules, tying polarity to selective dissolving behavior.
Web source
Presence: 4/5
"At the molecular level, salt dissolves in water due to electrical charges and due to the fact that both water and salt compounds are polar, with positive and negative charges on opposite sides in the molecule."
Why this source?
  • Gives a concrete example: salt dissolves in water "due to electrical charges" and because both water and salt are polar/ionic.
  • Shows how polarity/electrical charge interactions (water surrounding ions) cause dissolution of ionic compounds.

Science ,Class VIII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 9: The Amazing World of Solutes, Solvents, and Solutions > 9.1 What Are Solute, Solvent, and Solution? > p. 135
Strength: 4/5
“A uniform mixture, such as that of salt or sugar, and water, is called a solution. Whenever a solid is mixed with a liquid to form a solution, the solid component is called the solute, and the liquid component is called the solvent. The solute dissolves in the solvent to form a solution (Fig. 9.3). When a solution is formed by mixing two liquids, it is not always clear which substance is dissolving the other. In such cases, the substance present in smaller amount is called the solute, while the one in larger amount is called the solvent. We know air is a mixture.”
Why relevant

Defines solvent/solute and gives examples of solids (salt, sugar) dissolving in water, showing water commonly acts as a solvent.

How to extend

A student can combine this with the general chemistry rule that 'like dissolves like' (polar solvents dissolve polar solutes) to hypothesize a role for water's polarity in dissolving many substances.

Science ,Class VIII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 9: The Amazing World of Solutes, Solvents, and Solutions > Probe and ponder > p. 134
Strength: 5/5
“9 • z What do you think is happening in the picture above?• z What happens when you add too much sugar to your tea and it stops dissolving? How can you solve this problem?• z Why do sugar and salt dissolve in water but not in oil? Why is water considered a good solvent?• z Why are water bottles usually tall and cylindrical in shape instead of spherical? Share your questions 134”
Why relevant

Asks explicitly 'Why do sugar and salt dissolve in water but not in oil? Why is water considered a good solvent?', pointing to a contrast between water and oil as solvents.

How to extend

A student can use the contrast (water vs oil) plus basic knowledge that oil is nonpolar to infer that water's differing properties (e.g., polarity) underlie its greater ability to dissolve ionic/polar solutes.

Science ,Class VIII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 9: The Amazing World of Solutes, Solvents, and Solutions > Snapshots > p. 149
Strength: 3/5
“• A solution is said to be formed when two or more substances mix to form a uniform mixture.• In the solution formed by dissolving a solid in a liquid, the solid component is known as a solute and the liquid component is known as a solvent.• In a solution formed by mixing two liquids, the component present in less quantity is known as solute and the other component is called solvent.• In air, nitrogen is considered as a solvent, while oxygen, argon, carbon dioxide, and other gases are considered as solutes.• A solution in which the maximum amount of solute has been dissolved, and no more of it can be dissolved at that temperature is called a saturated solution.• A solution in which more solute can be dissolved at a given temperature is called an unsaturated solution.• Solubility is the maximum amount of solute that can be dissolved in a fixed quantity (100 mL) of a solution or a solvent at a particular temperature.• Generally, in liquids, the solubility of solids increases and that of gases decreases with an increase in temperature.• The amount of matter present in an object is known as its mass.• The space occupied by an object or a substance is known as its volume.• Devices used to measure mass and volume are a weighing balance and a measuring cylinder, respectively.• The mass per unit volume of a substance is known as its density (Density = Mass/Volume).• Generally, density decreases with an increase in temperature and pressure affects density differently depending on the state of matter.”
Why relevant

Summarises solubility concepts, including that solubility of solids in liquids generally increases with temperature and defines 'good solvent' behavior in examples.

How to extend

A student can apply these general solubility rules along with the idea that water dissolves many substances to investigate whether polarity correlates with higher solubility in water versus other liquids.

Science ,Class VIII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 7: Particulate Nature of Matter > Activity 7.7: Let us observe > p. 108
Strength: 3/5
“Since the volume of the solution is less than the sum of the volumes of water and sugar, it indicates that there is some space between the water particles. The particles of the dissolved substance occupy these spaces (Fig. 7.11). Repeat the Activity 7.7 with some other soluble solids, such as common salt or glucose, and insoluble solids, like sand and stone pieces. What do you observe in each case? Do the sand particles dissolve? Does the volume of water in the vessel change after mixing, and why? Sugar and sand are both solids. Why does sugar dissolve in water but sand does not?”
Why relevant

Explains that dissolved particles occupy spaces between water particles and contrasts soluble (sugar) and insoluble (sand) solids in water.

How to extend

A student can combine this observation with the idea that molecular interactions (attraction between water and solute) determine whether solute particles separate and occupy these spaces — consistent with a polarity-based explanation.

Science ,Class VIII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 9: The Amazing World of Solutes, Solvents, and Solutions > What inspired Asima Chatterjee to work on medicinal plants? > p. 139
Strength: 2/5
“Chapter 9 — The Amazing World of Solutes, Solvents, and Solutions 139 9.3 Solubility of Gases Many gases, including oxygen, dissolve in water. Oxygen dissolves in water only to a small extent. Even though present in minute quantities, it is this dissolved oxygen that sustains all aquatic life, including plants, fishes, and other organisms. Is the mixture of gases in water a uniform or non-uniform mixture? It is a uniform mixture because the gases dissolve evenly in water to form a solution. Does temperature affect the solubility of gases in liquids also? If so, how? It has been observed that the solubility of gases generally decreases as temperature increases.”
Why relevant

Notes that many gases (e.g., oxygen) dissolve in water but only to a small extent, showing solubility depends on the solute type and conditions.

How to extend

A student could use this to probe limits of water's solvent ability (e.g., polar vs nonpolar gases) and test whether polarity predicts solubility extent.

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Statement analysis

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Statement analysis

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