Why is it that water is called universal solvent?

solute means which dissolve & solvent means one which dissolve solute. so, universal solvent means one who has ability to dissove any solute. & the most important thing is both ion are present in water(+,-) deionised or distill water are used to dissolve most of the solute. & also Because it will dissolve any polar solute. When that term originated, it did not really take into account nonpolar solvents like oils, but it is still a useful term. Water is an extremely effective solvent used all over the world. A polar molecule is one in which the charge of one end is different than the charge of the other. Hydrogen bonding is a type of interaction between a hydrogen that has been covalently bonded with a very electronegative element and has almost been stripped of its two electrons. Thus, it acts almost as a lone proton and "hydrogen bonds" or attracts particles with negative charge. Adhesion is the sticking of a substance onto another. Cohesion is the sticking of a substance to itself. Water is polar. Having an HOH structure, the two H ends are positively charged and the O is negatively charged. Thus, these charges are attracted to their opposites in other polar (or ionic) molecules. The result is that the water molecules surround the other molecules by matching their end to the molecules' oppositely charged end. After water molecules stick themselves onto each molecule of the solute, the substance is said to be dissolved. Adhesion is similar to its properties as a solvent. These same poles of the water molecule interact with the poles of other molecules and cause it to "stick" to them. For instance, if you pour water onto a glass pane held at an angle, the water will run down the length of the bottom of the pane instead of pouring right off of it. The water actually sticks to the glass because of adhesion. Cohesion is where hydrogen bonding comes in. Cohesion is when the exposed H(+) atoms stick to the opposite pole of neighbouring water molecules. The result is a long inter-linked chain of the exposed hydrogens sticking to the exposed oxygens of other molecules, and the ultimate result is something called cohesion which accounts for the slightly viscous nature of water. so, water is called universal solvent. good luck & have a nice day.

Water is universal solvent due to its unique chemical and physical properties. Actually, due to bonding it can solve all most all elements in it so that's y it is called universal solvent. I had a chapter in my course last year about water in Chemistry but i did n't tell about it to u briefly bcuz many ppl've already told u the exact answers and i just told u the main reason.

Member since: November 27, 2006 Total points: 965 (Level 2) Points earned this week: 1 14%Best answer 233 answers Best Answer - Chosen By Voters A polar molecule is one in which the charge of one end is different than the charge of the other. Hydrogen bonding is a type of interaction between a hydrogen that has been covalently bonded with a very electronegative element and has almost been stripped of its two electrons. Thus, it acts almost as a lone proton and "hydrogen bonds" or attracts particles with negative charge. Adhesion is the sticking of a substance onto another. Cohesion is the sticking of a substance to itself. Water is polar. Having an HOH structure, the two H ends are positively charged and the O is negatively charged. Thus, these charges are attracted to their opposites in other polar (or ionic) molecules. The result is that the water molecules surround the other molecules by matching their end to the molecules' oppositely charged end. After water molecules stick themselves onto each molecule of the solute, the substance is said to be dissolved. Adhesion is similar to its properties as a solvent. These same poles of the water molecule interact with the poles of other molecules and cause it to "stick" to them. For instance, if you pour water onto a glass pane held at an angle, the water will run down the length of the bottom of the pane instead of pouring right off of it. The water actually sticks to the glass because of adhesion. Cohesion is where hydrogen bonding comes in. Cohesion is when the exposed H(+) atoms stick to the opposite pole of neighbouring water molecules. The result is a long inter-linked chain of the exposed hydrogens sticking to the exposed oxygens of other molecules, and the ultimate result is something called cohesion which accounts for the slightly viscous nature of water.

Water is considered to be the universal solvent because it is able to dissolve the most (even if some in small quantities) anorganic chemical substances. The organic sustances have variouse response when mixed with water, many of them not being solubile.

Water is an essential thing or most important thing that is required for the sustainance or maintainance of a life form only after the oxygen which is required at the first place. No living form can live without water.This implies that water is having a major role of nourishing the body.Maintaining the body temperature, body turgidity etc are the secondary things to be considered . but the prime and basic thing is that water supplies nutients to each and every corner of the body of a living thing. That means it dissoves almost all the elementals in one or other form, that are required by the body for the sustainance of life. Plants they preparae the food in presence of Sunlight, Carbondioxide and water. That means the food prepared by the plants is derived from soil and the water is playing as a vehicle to carry all the require nutients in various forms from the soil to the plant leaves where the starcgh is manufactured.Thus water is capable of dissolving almost all the things, in one or other form, perhaprs fats and some elements in pure forms can be some exceptions.If we taste the Sea water, that is salty, this means the water carried into the sea in the form of river has accumulated many salts and chemicals enrouted to dissolve them in it and finally they are addede to the Sea.This nature of water to dissove almost everything in it must have given the name of univerasl solvent to it. In daily life we see practically any thing which we eat except for fats and solid materials which are riuch in fibre content, almost every thing gets dissolves in water to form solution. Examples are sugar, salt, vineger etc. I think because of the above qualities of dissolving almost everyt thing in it for the sustainance of life form without which, no life could have been possible on the earth water is said to be the 'Universal Solvent"!

It is a universal solvent. Water contains chemical and atomic properties that allow it to interact with almost anything. Because it can bond with so many forms of material, and change their chemical composition, it's a reasonable description. It can do unexpected things. It can form (temporarily) ice crystals at its own boiling point. I read recently that water can even find its way through glass. Not quite a solvent for everything, though. More accurately, sea water is a universal solvent. It will even dissolve gold. It's even more chemically active, contains the radioactive version of itself, tritium, and literally forms a solution out of any material in time.

It's called a universal solvent, cos it liquidifies almost all basic substances. And i think almost half of the world is covered with water. :). Thats all i can say since, everything i can find on the net,why water is considered as a universal solvent is already copied and pasted on this thread. :)

Our body contains 95% of the water...we can live some days without food...And we can't live somedays without water...Also it is used for many purpose..So hence named universal solvent..

I think water is called that because it helps with everything that we need it for. We need water in our bodies, to cook with and use it to do whatever we can with it.

maybe because water is a cleansing thing....

Water molecules are polar (electrically charged) and so water dissolves most substances. Mainly, it will dissolve all materials except those that are nonpolar. For this reason it is called a universal solvent.

Simply because water can absorbe any kind of metal, and it will desolve it day by day, thats why it is called the universal solvent

I didn't think that there was such a thing as a universal solvent. If there was, it could not be contained. Water can be contained in glass and plastic and metal, therefore it really is not a very potent solvent at all.

sometimes not is... =D have one case the water not is the "Universal Solvent"