Would water be a suitable solvent for extracting trimyristin from nutmeg?

Water would not be a suitable solvent for extracting trimyristin from nutmeg. Trimyristin is a non-polar molecule, meaning it is composed of mostly carbon and hydrogen atoms and lacks significant electronegative atoms such as oxygen or nitrogen. Water, on the other hand, is a polar solvent, meaning it has a net electrical charge due to the presence of polar bonds, particularly the O-H bond.

Polar solvents are typically good at dissolving polar solutes, where the solute molecules can form hydrogen bonds or ion-dipole interactions with the solvent molecules. However, non-polar solutes like trimyristin do not have these types of interactions and are generally insoluble in polar solvents.

In contrast, non-polar solvents, such as hexane or chloroform, can effectively dissolve non-polar solutes like trimyristin. These solvents have similar molecular structures and properties, allowing for good intermolecular interactions between the solvent and the solute.

Therefore, if the goal is to extract trimyristin from nutmeg, non-polar solvents would be a better choice than water.