Water is called the universal solvent. 15.7 Solvation is the process of a solute dissolving. When a crystal of an ionic substance is place in water, the water molecules collide with it. The water molecules attract the solute ions. The individual ions break away from the crystal and the solute dissolves.
Polar solvents dissolve polar molecules.
Nonpolar molecules dissolve nonpolar molecules. 5H2O is a hydrated compound. This is because they ionize in solution.