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Why don’t oil and water mix? - John Pollard

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TEDEd Animation

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Salt dissolves in water; oil does not. But why? You can think of that glass of water as a big, bumpin' dance party where the water molecules are always switching dance partners -- and they'd much rather dance with a salt ion. John Pollard explains how two chemistry principles, energetics and entropy, rule the dance floor.

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Meet The Creators

  • Educator John Pollard
  • Animator Andrew Foerster
  • Sound Designer Devin Polaski
  • Narrator Addison Anderson

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