* Water (H₂O): Cadmium nitrate is highly soluble in water. This is because the strong electrostatic interactions between the polar water molecules and the charged ions of cadmium nitrate (Cd²⁺ and NO₃⁻) overcome the lattice energy holding the solid together.
* Other Polar Solvents: Cadmium nitrate is also soluble in other polar solvents like:
* Ethanol (C₂H₅OH): Ethanol is a polar solvent that can dissolve cadmium nitrate, but the solubility may be lower than in water.
* Methanol (CH₃OH): Similar to ethanol, methanol is a polar solvent with good solubility for cadmium nitrate.
* Acetone (CH₃COCH₃): While acetone is a polar solvent, it's less polar than water or alcohols. The solubility of cadmium nitrate in acetone might be limited.
* Non-Polar Solvents: Cadmium nitrate is insoluble in non-polar solvents like:
* Hexane (C₆H₁₄): Hexane is a non-polar solvent, and it doesn't have the ability to interact with the charged ions of cadmium nitrate.
* Diethyl ether (C₄H₁₀O): Diethyl ether is also non-polar and won't effectively dissolve cadmium nitrate.
Key Point: The solubility of cadmium nitrate is primarily determined by the ability of the solvent to interact with the positively charged cadmium ions (Cd²⁺) and the negatively charged nitrate ions (NO₃⁻). Polar solvents are better at these interactions due to their partial charges.
