Why do water and oil refuse to mix at the molecular level?
In short: Water molecules are constantly swapping partners in a dynamic dance. John Pollard explains how the principles of energetics and entropy dictate which substances join the party and which are left out, revealing why oil remains isolated while salt dissolves.
At the heart of this chemical separation are two fundamental forces: energetics and entropy. Water molecules are highly social, preferring to interact with substances like salt ions that can participate in their ongoing molecular exchanges.
Oil molecules, by contrast, do not fit into this energetic dance. The system naturally favors configurations that maximize stability and disorder, causing oil to remain separate rather than disrupting the preferred interactions of the water molecules.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Why don't oil and water mix? - John Pollard
- Also: Why don’t oil and water mix? - John Pollard | TED-Ed
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