Which of the following is considered a universal solvent?

Water is considered the universal solvent due to its ability to dissolve a wide range of substances. This characteristic is largely attributed to its molecular structure; water is a polar molecule, which means it has a partial positive charge on one side (the hydrogen atoms) and a partial negative charge on the other side (the oxygen atom). This polarity allows water molecules to interact with various ionic and polar substances, effectively breaking them apart and facilitating dissolution.

Water's solvent properties are essential for many biological and chemical processes, making it crucial in areas such as biochemistry, environmental science, and many industrial applications. Its high dielectric constant further enhances its ability to dissolve salts and other compounds.

In contrast, while ethanol, acetone, and chloroform can also act as solvents, their effectiveness is limited to certain types of substances. Ethanol is good for dissolving polar and some nonpolar substances, acetone is effective primarily for nonpolar and some polar compounds, and chloroform is mainly effective for nonpolar substances. However, none of these can match the versatility of water in terms of the diversity of solutes it can dissolve.