Chemistry / Unit 8 Chem 1523 short lesson, about 20 seconds
"Like Dissolves Like" as a Structural Heuristic
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The idea
"Like dissolves like" is a heuristic, not a strict law: polar solvents favor polar solutes, nonpolar solvents favor nonpolar ones.
In practice
Oil and water stay separate because water's hydrogen bonds outcompete any attraction either liquid could form with the other.
Where people slip
This heuristic predicts trends, not certainties — some polar and nonpolar pairs dissolve partially instead.
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