Solvent Classifications
Solvents can be broadly classified into two categories: polar and non-polar. Generally, the dielectric constant of the solvent provides a rough measure of a solvent's polarity. The strong polarity of water is indicated, at 20 °C, by a dielectric constant of 80.10;. Solvents with a dielectric constant of less than 15 are generally considered to be nonpolar. Technically, the dielectric constant measures the solvent's ability to reduce the field strength of the electric field surrounding a charged particle immersed in it. This reduction is then compared to the field strength of the charged particle in a vacuum. In layperson's terms, dielectric constant of a solvent can be thought of as its ability to reduce the solute's internal charge.
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Famous quotes containing the word solvent:
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—Thomas Mann (1875–1955)