Liquid methyl alcohol, also known as methanol, is a polar solvent. This means that it has a significant difference in electronegativity between its constituent atoms, leading to an unequal distribution of charge. As a general rule in chemistry, polar solvents tend to dissolve polar solutes due to the principle of ‘like dissolves like.’
Given that methyl alcohol is polar, it will effectively dissolve:
- d) polar solutes
This occurs because the attraction between the polar molecules of methanol and the polar solute molecules allows for the formation of favorable interactions, thus enabling the solvation process. Nonpolar solutes, on the other hand, would not experience the same interactions with a polar solvent like methyl alcohol, making it unlikely for them to dissolve.