Why do acids and bases dissociate into ions in water?

[labinojha]

why do acids and bases dissociate into ions while in water?

 

[pzona]

It's not just acids and bases...other compounds do it too (ex. NaCl). Look at how they dissociate and which ions are found once they do. Specifically, look at the type of bond between the two ions (hint). What type of solvent is water and how might this play a role?

 

[Mu naught]

Generally because water molecules are polar. The ionic attraction between the polarized water molecules and the dissolved atoms are stronger than the bonds in the original molecules.

 

[Borek]

This is a little bit putting things on the head. By (Arrhenius) definition acids and bases are substances that dissociate in water producing either H⁺ or OH^-. As dissociation is part of the definition, every substance that we classified as acid or base must be dissociating. In effect answer to the question "why those substances dissociate" is "because we have chosen substances that dissociate".