Here's why:
* Ionic compounds are composed of positively charged cations and negatively charged anions held together by electrostatic forces (ionic bonds).
* When an ionic compound dissolves, these bonds break, and the individual ions become surrounded by solvent molecules. This process is called dissociation.
Example:
* Sodium chloride (NaCl), a common ionic compound, dissolves in water to form sodium ions (Na+) and chloride ions (Cl-).
In summary: The solute particles in a solution of an ionic compound are the ions that make up the compound.
