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View Full Version : Why CO2 will dissolve in water? thx


itsmine
Jul25-04, 12:32 PM
As title, CO2 is non-polar, why it can dissolve in water which is a polarized slovent?

GCT
Jul25-04, 01:08 PM
For one CO2 is an acidic oxide, it reacts with water to produce a salt species. Also, "dissolve" is not equated with solubility. As long as a gas, such as CO2, has a partial pressure above water, it will run into the surface of the liquid (such as water) and in a sense dissolve. CO2 has a net dipole moment of zero, however water can still be attracted to it through other means than dipole-dipole interactions.


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itsmine
Jul25-04, 02:07 PM
Thanks for the reply, I was confused because of the like dissolves like theory.