Vegetable oil, being nonpolar, is more likely to be soluble in carbon tetrachloride than in water. This is due to the principle of ‘like dissolves like’, which states that polar solvents dissolve polar solutes, and nonpolar solvents dissolve nonpolar solutes.
Water is a polar molecule, characterized by its uneven distribution of electrical charge. This polarity allows water to engage in hydrogen bonding and interact effectively with other polar substances. On the other hand, carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) is a nonpolar solvent. The lack of polarity in carbon tetrachloride means that it can effectively interact with the nonpolar molecules found in vegetable oil.
When you mix vegetable oil with water, the nonpolar oil does not interact favorably with the polar water molecules, leading to separation rather than dissolution. Conversely, when mixed with carbon tetrachloride, the vegetable oil can interact more easily, leading to a more homogeneous mixture due to their similar nonpolar characteristics.