Why are alkenes insoluble in water?

Alkenes are characterized by their non-polar nature due to the presence of carbon-carbon double bonds and primarily carbon-hydrogen bonds, which do not create regions of significant positive or negative charge. Non-polar molecules do not interact favorably with polar solvents like water, as water is a polar molecule with distinct positive and negative ends. This lack of interaction means that alkenes are not able to dissolve in water effectively.

In contrast, polar molecules can form hydrogen bonds or dipole-dipole interactions with water, allowing them to dissolve more readily. The presence of strong ionic bonds in some compounds would also facilitate interaction with water, but this does not apply to alkenes. Additionally, their molecular weight does not directly determine solubility in water; it is more about the nature of the bonds and the overall polarity of the molecule that affects solubility.