Which of the following can serve as a solvent for both ionic and covalent compounds?

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Liquid ammonia

H₂O

Benzene

CCl₄

answer is A.

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Detailed Solution

Ammonia contains nitrogen and hydrogen, which are both nonmetals.
So, nitrogen forms three covalent bonds with the three-hydrogen present.
Each hydrogen atom has two electrons (stable state corresponding to K-shell) while the nitrogen atom gets a full, stable octet.
Because nitrogen is much more electronegative than the hydrogen atoms, it pulls the electrons in the covalent bonds closer to itself.
So, there is an unequal sharing of electrons in these bonds.
Hence, ammonia is a polar covalent molecule.
Due its polar nature ionic compounds dissolve in it, due to covalent nature covalent compounds dissolve in liq. NH₃.

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