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What term describes water's ability to dissolve many ionic and polar substances?
Adhesion
Solvent
Cohesion
Hydrophobic
The correct answer is: Solvent
The correct term that describes water's ability to dissolve many ionic and polar substances is "solvent." Water is often referred to as the "universal solvent" due to its capability to dissolve a wide variety of substances, which is primarily attributed to its polar nature. The polar bonds within a water molecule create a partial positive charge on the hydrogen atoms and a partial negative charge on the oxygen atom. This polarity allows water to interact with and effectively separate ionic compounds or polar molecules, ultimately leading to dissolution. For example, when table salt (sodium chloride) is added to water, the positive sodium ions are attracted to the negative oxygen end of the water molecules, while the negative chloride ions are attracted to the positive hydrogen ends. This property is fundamental in biological systems, as it facilitates biochemical reactions and transport of nutrients and wastes. Other terms like adhesion and cohesion refer to water's interactions with other substances and itself, respectively, while hydrophobic describes substances that do not interact well with water, highlighting their inability to dissolve. Thus, "solvent" is the most appropriate term for this property of water.