I was doing a question for my lab and I looked up the properites of salicyclic acid. I found out that it is polar...but it does not dissolve as readily in water as it does in ether.

I'm confused because I thought a solute that dissolves in ether solution is considered non-polar.

Can anyone explain why this is the case?

 

Thanks soo muchh!!!!!

Well people say polar or nonpolar, in reality everything with more than one element is at least a little polar.

Polar or non-polar are not dichotomous variables. Take a look at the structure, especially the aromatic ring.

in the end, what decides whether a substance dissolves in water is the relative strengths of the intermolecular bonds between the substances.

 

For instance, with salicylic acid, there are attractions between salicylic acid molecules which are very strong. There are also attractions between water molecules which are very strong. The attractions between a salicylic acid molecule and a water molecule just isn't strong enough to overcome the forces holding the pure substances together.

Salicyclic acid besides has a significant hydrophobic benzene ring, so it won't be strange if it dissolves better in ether for it's polar, though.