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

Explanation

(i) Water has a high dielectric constant (79.39) and high dipole moment (1.84D) . Because of these properties, water dissolves most of the inorganic (ionic) compounds and many covalent compounds. That is why water is called a universal solvent. Whereas ionic compounds dissolve in water due to iondipole interaction or solvation of ions, covalent compounds such as alcohols, amines, urea, glucose, sugar, etc. dissolve in water due to H-bonding.
(ii) Water can hydrolyse many oxides (metallic or non-metallic ), hydrides, carbides, nitrides, phosphides and other salts. In these reactions , `H^(+)` and `OH^(-)` ions of water interact with anions and cations respectivity leading to the formation of an acid or a base or both as shown below :
`CaO(s) +H_(2)O(l) to Ca(OH)_(2)(aq)`
`SO_(2)(g) + H_(2)O (l) to H_(2)SO_(3)(aq)`
`CaH_(2)(s) + 2H_(2)O (l) to Ca(OH)_(2)(aq) + 2H_(2) (g)`
`CaC_(2)(s) + 2H_(2)O (l) to Ca(OH)_(2)(aq) + underset("Acetylene")(HC -=CH(g))`