What properties of water make it useful as a solvent? What types of compound can it (i) dissolve, and (ii) hydrolyse ?

Explanation

Properties of wate which make it useful as a solvent are:
a. High dielectric constantn (79.39)
b. High dipole moment (1.84 D)
i. Water, due to the above two properties, dissolves most of the inorganic (ionic ) and covalent compounds. That is why, it is known as universal solvent. Ionic compounds dissolve in water due to ion-dipole interaction or solvation (or hydration) of ions. Covalent compounds dissolve in water due of hydrogen bonding .
ii. Water can hydrolyse many oxides, hydrides, carbides, nitrides, phosphides etc.
`CaO+H_(2)Oto Ca(OH)_(2)`
`CaH_(2)+2H_(2)Oto Ca(OH)_(2)+2H_(2)`
`CaO_(2)+2H_(2)Oto Ca(OH)_(2)+HC-=CH`