Which statement best explains why oil and water do not mix?

• A. Oil has stronger hydrogen bonding than water, causing separation.
• B. Water is denser than oil, so they cannot mix.
• C. Oil is nonpolar and water is polar, so there are no significant intermolecular forces between them.
• D. Oil molecules are larger than water molecules, preventing them from mixing.

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the nature of water molecules: Water is a polar molecule with a bent shape, which allows it to form strong hydrogen bonds between molecules.
2. Recognize the nature of oil molecules: Oil is composed mostly of nonpolar hydrocarbon chains, which do not have significant partial charges and cannot form hydrogen bonds.
3. Recall the principle 'like dissolves like': Polar substances tend to mix well with other polar substances due to similar intermolecular forces, while nonpolar substances mix well with other nonpolar substances.
4. Analyze the interaction between oil and water: Since water is polar and oil is nonpolar, the intermolecular forces between water molecules (hydrogen bonding) are much stronger than any weak interactions that could occur between water and oil molecules.
5. Conclude that because of the difference in polarity and the lack of significant intermolecular forces between oil and water, they do not mix and instead separate into layers.