What is the answer to 1st question and why?

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1 Answer
anor277
Mar 10, 2018

This has set the cat among the pigeons.... Good question...

Explanation:

I will give my attempt. I make no guarantees with regard to accuracy. And someone might shoot me down subsequently....which I will be happy to accept.

Assertion 1. is NOT true universally. #"Water is especially effective"# #"in screening electrostatic interaction between SOME not ALL"# #"dissolved"# #"ions"#.

Reason 2. is also untrue..

#"The force of the ionic interaction DOES NOT depend"#
#"SOLELY upon the dielectric constant of the solvent."#

Clearly, other factors operate. The force of ionic interaction (for mine) depends primarily on the charge of ANION, and CATION... Cleary a dication/dianion is going to generate a greater electrostatic force of interaction. The SIZE of the ions will also clearly influence the force of interaction according to old Coulomb's law, the which is an inverse square law.

So I would go for #e#. Anyway, that's my OPINION...the which may be wrong. Would you give some feedback on the answer you received eventually? ....this is really a nasty question....2nd or third year inorganic chem?

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