What is the principle of LIKE DISSOLVES LIKE ,EXPLANATION needed,and also limitations?

Water is an exceptionally polar solvent, and is capable of solvating MANY ionic species, and many species that are capable of hydrogen-bonding, for instance the SHORTER alcohols. Methanol, and ethanol in particular are infinitely miscible with water.

On the other hand, non-polar solvents such as hexanes, are capable of (sometimes) dissolving non-polar solutes. Hexanes is miscible with ethanol (because of the two-carbon chain), but IMMISCIBLE with methanol (a ONE carbon chain). And there are also polar solvents such as diethyl ether, and methylene chloride, that while incapable of dissolving ionic solutes, are nevertheless GOOD solvents for many organic solutes.

So how do you know which solute is soluble in which solvent? How else by experiment? And polar or not, MOST solutes HAVE SOME solubility in water, one of the most powerful solvents known.

Confused yet?

The principle of "like dissolves like" states that substances with similar polarities or solubility properties tend to dissolve in each other. For example, polar solvents dissolve polar solutes, and nonpolar solvents dissolve nonpolar solutes. This principle arises from the fact that molecules with similar intermolecular forces are more likely to mix and form a homogeneous solution.

Limitations of this principle include situations where there are exceptions due to specific molecular interactions, such as hydrogen bonding or complexation, which can influence solubility even if the substances have different polarities. Additionally, certain solvents may have selective solubility for certain substances despite differences in polarity.