Hexane, a nonpolar solvent, will dissolve which of the following substances?

• A. Iodine (I2)
• B. Potassium nitrate (KNO3)
• C. Sucrose (C12H22O11)
• D. Sodium chloride (NaCl)

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the principle of 'like dissolves like,' which means that solvents tend to dissolve solutes with similar polarity. Nonpolar solvents dissolve nonpolar substances, while polar solvents dissolve polar or ionic substances.
2. Identify the polarity of hexane, which is a nonpolar solvent due to its long hydrocarbon chain and lack of significant electronegative atoms.
3. Examine the polarity of each solute: Iodine (I2) is a nonpolar molecule because it consists of two identical atoms sharing electrons equally; Potassium nitrate (KNO3) and Sodium chloride (NaCl) are ionic compounds, which are highly polar; Sucrose (C12H22O11) is a polar molecule due to many hydroxyl (-OH) groups.
4. Apply the 'like dissolves like' rule: since hexane is nonpolar, it will dissolve nonpolar substances like iodine (I2) but not polar or ionic substances such as KNO3, NaCl, or sucrose.
5. Conclude that iodine (I2) will dissolve in hexane, while potassium nitrate, sucrose, and sodium chloride will not, because their polar or ionic nature makes them insoluble in a nonpolar solvent like hexane.