What does salt to plain water do to its density? Explain your answer
answered below.
Look for my response to Tyler's question.
Adding salt to plain water increases its density. This happens because salt is composed of sodium and chloride ions, which are much heavier than the molecules of water. When salt is dissolved in water, it increases the total mass of the solution without significantly changing the volume. As a result, the saltwater mixture becomes denser than the plain water.
To understand this concept, you can conduct a simple experiment. Here's how:
1. Take two identical cups and fill one with plain water while leaving the other one empty.
2. Measure the mass of the plain water using a scale and record it.
3. Slowly add salt to the water in the first cup, stirring until it is completely dissolved. Be sure to take note of the amount of salt you add.
4. Measure the mass of the saltwater solution and record it.
5. Calculate the density of both the plain water and the saltwater solution using the formulas:
Density = Mass / Volume
Note: Since the volume does not change significantly when salt is added to water, we can assume it remains constant.
By comparing the densities of the plain water and the saltwater solution, you will observe that the saltwater has a higher density. This increase in density is due to the added mass of the dissolved salt in the water.