Water dissolves salt because the negative part of a water molecule, the oxygen part, is attracted to the positive part of the salt, the sodium part. The positive part of the water molecule, the hydrogen part, is attracted to the negative part of the salt, the chlorine part. Dissolving happens when the attractions between the water molecules and the sodium chloride ions overcome the attraction of the ions to each other, causing the ions to separate from each other and mix into the water.

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