Question

A student is making a salt water solution for a lab experiment. Which of the following would increase in the rate the salt dissolves? (Select all that apply)(1 point)
Responses

using salt cubes instead of crushed salt
using salt cubes instead of crushed salt

heating the water
heating the water

using crushed salt instead of salt cubes
using crushed salt instead of salt cubes

stirring the solution
stirring the solution

cooling the water

Answer 1

To increase the rate at which salt dissolves in water, the following options would apply:

1. **Heating the water** - Heating increases the kinetic energy of the water molecules, which helps to dissolve the salt more quickly.

2. **Using crushed salt instead of salt cubes** - Crushed salt has a greater surface area compared to whole salt cubes, which allows for faster dissolution.

3. **Stirring the solution** - Stirring helps to distribute the salt throughout the water and promotes interaction between the salt and water molecules, speeding up the dissolution process.

**Incorrect options:**

- Using salt cubes instead of crushed salt would **decrease** the rate of dissolution because the larger pieces have less surface area exposed to the water.
- Cooling the water would typically **decrease** the rate of dissolution because it reduces the kinetic energy of the molecules.

So the correct responses that would increase the rate the salt dissolves are:

- heating the water
- using crushed salt instead of salt cubes
- stirring the solution