What Properties Of Water Make It A Good Solvent?

A solvent is a substance that can dissolve an other substance. Water is one of the best solvents in fact it is often called the "universal" solvent. It is the structure of water that makes it such a great solvent. Because water is polar it will dissolve other polar molecules as well as ionic compounds. 

It is a polar molecule which makes it possible to dissolve both polar and ionic compounds.  That covers most inorganic compounds that are solid at room temperature.  It is abundant and therefore cheap and it is non toxic to humans.

Because many things will dissolve in water and it is universally available.
 
The universal solvent from days of old, aka Alkahest, was a substance, sought after by alchemists as it was thought to dissolve every other substance, including gold. Like turning lead to gold, alkahest was never discovered.
 
 

It can dissolved the most types of substances

Because a great range of mi sibilities of substance due to its polarity

That is because of it's ability to dissolve anything and dissociate them

I don't have a clue why it is called a universal solvent ! Xxx
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