When ethanol molecules are added to water, the correct understanding is that b) nonpolar are not attracted to the polar water molecules.
Ethanol, despite containing a polar hydroxyl (-OH) group, has a hydrocarbon portion (C2H5) that is nonpolar. When mixed with water, which is a highly polar substance, the polar and nonpolar characteristics come into play.
Water molecules are capable of forming hydrogen bonds with other polar molecules, thus allowing polar molecules like ethanol to interact. However, the nonpolar portion of ethanol does not interact favorably with water. Hence, the nonpolar characteristics of the hydrocarbon chain make them less likely to mix with the polar environment of water, leading to a situation where these nonpolar aspects are not attracted to water.
As a result, while ethanol can mix with water due to its polar -OH group, its larger nonpolar hydrocarbon tail limits the interaction, illustrating the principle that