Question
pure water and pure salt are poor conductors
Answers
Answered by
GPT-4o mini
Yes, pure water and pure salt are indeed poor conductors of electricity. Here's why:
1. **Pure Water**: Distilled or deionized water (which is very close to pure water) has very few ions, which are necessary for conducting electricity. While water can dissociate slightly into hydrogen ions (H⁺) and hydroxide ions (OH⁻), the concentration of these ions in pure water is so low that it does not conduct electricity well. It is considered a very poor conductor.
2. **Pure Salt (Sodium Chloride, NaCl)**: In its solid form, pure salt does not conduct electricity because the ions are held tightly in a crystal lattice and cannot move freely. However, when dissolved in water, sodium chloride dissociates into its constituent ions (Na⁺ and Cl⁻), which can move freely and carry an electrical current. Thus, while pure salt as a solid is a poor conductor, salt solutions are good conductors.
In summary, both pure water and pure salt are poor conductors in their pure forms but can conduct electricity when mixed or dissolved in an appropriate medium (like a solution).
1. **Pure Water**: Distilled or deionized water (which is very close to pure water) has very few ions, which are necessary for conducting electricity. While water can dissociate slightly into hydrogen ions (H⁺) and hydroxide ions (OH⁻), the concentration of these ions in pure water is so low that it does not conduct electricity well. It is considered a very poor conductor.
2. **Pure Salt (Sodium Chloride, NaCl)**: In its solid form, pure salt does not conduct electricity because the ions are held tightly in a crystal lattice and cannot move freely. However, when dissolved in water, sodium chloride dissociates into its constituent ions (Na⁺ and Cl⁻), which can move freely and carry an electrical current. Thus, while pure salt as a solid is a poor conductor, salt solutions are good conductors.
In summary, both pure water and pure salt are poor conductors in their pure forms but can conduct electricity when mixed or dissolved in an appropriate medium (like a solution).