Why do metal ions dissolve in water?
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Water is STRONGLY polar. Like, one of the most polar substances we know of. As a reminder, when a molecule is polar, it means that one end of the molecule has a partial negative charge (called a dipole) , and the other end has a positive dipole. This is why very strongly polar molecules like water form what we call hydrogen bonds, which are very strong intermolecular bonds. In water, the polarity is so strong that fully charged ions are attracted to these ends (in the case of a positively charged metallic cation, it is attracted to the negative end of the water molecule). Hydrogen bonds are so strong as to be able to form complexes with ions, and these ions only enhance the hydrogen bonding between the solvent molecules by increasing the strength of their dipoles.
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