What term describes a substance that is attracted to water?

The term that describes a substance that is attracted to water is hydrophilic. Hydrophilic substances tend to interact favorably with water molecules, resulting in their ability to dissolve or mix well in aqueous environments. This attraction usually occurs due to the presence of polar groups in the molecules, which can form hydrogen bonds with water. For example, substances like salts and sugars are hydrophilic because they can interact with water through ion-dipole or dipole-dipole interactions.

In contrast, hydrophobic substances are repelled by water and tend to be nonpolar, leading to poor solubility in water, such as oils and fats. Amphipathic refers to molecules that have both hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions, which allows them to interact with both water and lipid environments, as seen in the case of phospholipids. Nonpolar substances lack significant polarity and therefore do not interact favorably with water, further emphasizing the distinction between these terms.