What happens when solid NaOH dissolves in water?

[Moe_slow]

I have trouble trying to figure out what happens to this reaction:

NaOH(s)+H2O(l)->

my first thought was that maybe nothing happened but then moved on to wondering wether it ionizes. can someone explain to me what happens and maybe why it does?

 

[Gokul43201]

You wondered correctly. Ionic solids tend to dissociate in water (this is what makes them soluble).

As to why this happens, the short (and both uninsightful as well as unsatisfying) answer is that some ionization (or dissociation) is thermodynamically favored. For a more intuitive explanation, see for example:

http://chemistry.about.com/library/weekly/blsolubility.htm