Imagine you are trying to dissolve \(\mathrm{NaCl}\) in liquid carbon tetrachloride, \(\mathrm{CCl}_{4}\). Would the energy released in the solvation step be greater than, less than, or about equal to that released when NaCl dissolves in water? Explain.

First, let's consider the polarity of the solvents and solute. NaCl is an ionic compound, which means it has a strong electrostatic attraction between the positively charged sodium ions and the negatively charged chloride ions. Water is a polar solvent, which means it has an uneven distribution of electron density due to the presence of polar O-H bonds. In contrast, carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄) is a non-polar solvent, as it has symmetrical distribution of electron density around the central carbon atom.

Now let's consider the solvation process. Solvation involves the interaction between the solute and solvent molecules. In the case of NaCl dissolving in water, the strong electrostatic attraction between the ions is overcome by the interaction of the ions with the polar water molecules. The oxygen atom in water has a partial negative charge and can interact with the positively charged sodium ions. Similarly, the hydrogen atoms in water have partial positive charges and can interact with the negatively charged chloride ions. This results in a release of energy and the overall solvation process is energetically favorable. On the other hand, when NaCl is dissolved in carbon tetrachloride, the non-polar solvent molecules (CCl₄) do not have partial charges and thus are not able to interact efficiently with the charged ions. As a result, the electrostatic attraction between the ions cannot be easily overcome and therefore the energy released in the solvation step is much lower than in the case of water.

Based on the properties of the solvents and solute, we can conclude that the energy released in the solvation step when NaCl dissolves in liquid carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄) is lower than the energy released when NaCl dissolves in water. This is because water, being a polar solvent, can effectively interact with the charged ions in NaCl, whereas the non-polar CCl₄ cannot efficiently engage in these interactions due to its lack of partial charges.