Explain why sodium chloride solution conduct electricity while sodium chloride solid does not conduct electricity.

1 answer

Sodium chloride (NaCl) in its solid form is a crystalline structure composed of tightly packed ions (Na+ and Cl-) that are not able to move freely. Therefore, in the solid form, sodium chloride does not conduct electricity because the ions are not able to move to carry an electric current.

In contrast, when sodium chloride is dissolved in water, the ions (Na+ and Cl-) are separated from each other and are free to move around in the solution. This creates a conducting medium that allows the flow of electric current. Therefore, a sodium chloride solution is able to conduct electricity while the solid form cannot.