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Explain why solid table salt is a poor conductor of electricity while salt water is a good conductor of electricity?
Wiki User
∙ 12y ago
Table salt is an ionic compound formed from Na+ and Cl-, but in its solid state it is bound in a lattice (a kind of scaffold) that does not allow electrons to flow.
Once dissolved in water, the ions separate; therefore, it is easy for the electrons to travel through the solution, jumping off each ion temporarily.
An interesting fact is that pure water is a poor conductor. The only reason why water and electricity is a bad idea is that the tap water we receive contains many ions, which allow the flow of electricity. As "MythBusters" showed us: making toast while taking a bath is a bad idea.
Wiki User
∙ 9y ago
Wiki User
∙ 9y agoThe flow of electricity depends on charged particles being able to move freely. In solid sodium chloride (table salt) crystals the positively charged sodium ions and negatively charged chloride ions are held in a fixed lattice arrangement within the structure so they cannot move. When the salt is dissolved in water, the ions become dissociated from each other and are free to move around in the solution. Water conducts electricity (even salt water) better than solid salt. It is also known that water (not pure water or distilled) is an excellent conductor of electricity.
Wiki User
∙ 9y agoTable salt is neutral and not ionized, making it a poor conductor of electricity. Salt ionizes in water and an electric current is conducted easier because of the different charges floating around.
Wiki User
∙ 12y agoBecause the molecules in the solid table salt are packed together meaning little space for the electricity to flow through but if it is liquid then it's molecules will be flowin around and spaced giving room for elctricity to flow freely
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Is a table mat conductor or an insulator?
Have a little think about what the purpose of a table mat is and you'll get your answer.
Can pepper conduct electricity?
insulator
What element is not shiny and not malleable?
There are several elements that are not shiny and not malleable. An example of this are Groups 1,14,15, and 16 on the Periodic Table. They are all non metals
What are the majority of the elements on the periodic table?
metals in solid forms.
Does salt water conduct electricity?
Salt water is a pretty good conductor of electricity. Its not as good as a metal but still is far from being an insulator. Pure water does not conduct electricity well at all. The reason salt water conducts electricity is because the NaCl (sodium chloride, aka table salt) breaks apart into a positively charged Na+ and a negatively charged Chlorine Cl-. When voltage is applied, the charged ions feel the force of the electric field created and they move. Instead of electrons then, the current is the moving ions. The more salt you put into the water, the better it conducts electricity. (Pure water is actually and poor conductor because the only ions it has are the residual H+ and OH- that form in neutral water and are the reason we say water has a pH of 7.)
Is radon a good conductor of electricity and heat?
Refer to the periodic table of elements and check if radon is a metal or not. If it is a metal then it will be good conductor of heat and electricity. If it is a gas it will not be good conductor of heat and electricity
Why is table salt is poor conductor of electricity?
Table salt is neutral and not ionized, making it a poor conductor of electricity. Salt ionizes in water and an electric current is conducted easier because of the different charges floating around.
Which element is brittle in the solid phase and is a poor conductor of heat and the solid electricity?
Any of the ceramic like materials. Look to the up and to the right of the periodic table. Semi-metals and solid non metals would be good places to start.
Is sugar solution a good conductor?
no salt solution is the conductor of electricity as sugar doesn't have as great an ionization as table salt
What group on periodic table is a poor conductor of electricity?
Group number 17 of the periodic table is a poor conductor because all are non-metals and diatomic molecules.
Can lithium conduct electricity?
Lithium(Li) or lithos (meaning stone in greek) is an Alkali metal, on which is located on the Periodic Table of Elements in Group I, Row 2. Like all metals Alkali metals are good electrical conductors. Therefore Lithium does conduct Electricity.
Element that is usually a gas or brittle solid at room temperature and is a poor conductor of heat and electricity?
Element that is usually a gas or brittle solid at room temperature and is a poor conductor of heat and electricity are non metals. A metal is an element that has luster, is a good conductor of heat and electricity, is malleable, and is ductile
Is iodine thermal and electric conductor?
Iodine is an element located in group 17 in the periodic table. It is a non metal and it has neither free electrons nor ions. Hence, it is not a conductor of electricity or heat.
Why is table salt a poor conducter of electricity?
Usually, solid ionic compounds are weak conductors of electricity. Aqueous solutions of ionic compounds are good conductors though as they have free ions for conductivity. When table salt is dissolved, the solution conducts electricity well.
Is sodium chloride a poor conductor of heat and electricity?
Sodium chloride (NaCl) or table salt is a poor conductor of heat and electricity in the solid phase, however, it is a very good conductor in the molten phase. This characteristic is shared by all ionic bonded molecular substances. Electricity can be defined as the flow of charge. Heat, to some extent, as the flow of energy. When a solid, sodium chloride, which consists of positive sodium ions and negative chloride ions, are stationary, fixed in a rigid crystal lattice structure. The charges cannot move, therefore electricity and heat will not be conducted well. When molten (melted) however, the rigid bonds of the crystal lattice are broken, allowing the positive and negative charges to move freely. In this state, when charges are caused to move by applying a potential difference, electricity is conducted, and so is heat.
What can you infer about copper and silver based on their position to each other on the periodic table?
Both elements are coinage metals and they are godd conductor of electricity and heat.
What is A type of element that has many valence electrons but is not a conductor?
Nonmetal Nitrogen. It has the most oxidation states of all the elements and is not an conductor of electricity.
