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Explain hydration of energy (details)
Accepted Answer
Hydration energy is the energy released when ions in a gas phase become surrounded by water molecules in an aqueous solution. The energy released is due to the formation of new bonds between the ions and water molecules and depends on the charge an ion possesses, its size and the properties of the solvent. In general, smaller and highly charged ions have larger hydration energies. This energy is an important factor in determining the solubility of ionic compounds in water. For example, sodium chloride (NaCl) is highly soluble in water because the hydration energies of Na+ and Cl- ions are large enough to overcome the lattice energy of the crystal. On the other hand, calcium sulfate (CaSO4) is poorly soluble in water because the hydration energies of Ca2+ and SO42- ions are not large enough to overcome the lattice energy of the crystal.
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