A student is making a salt water solution for a lab experiment. Which of the following would increase in the rate the salt dissolves?
a
cooling the water
b
using salt cubes instead of crushed salt
c
stirring the solution
c
stirring the solution
c) stirring the solution
Stirring the solution would increase the rate at which the salt dissolves. This is because stirring helps to increase the contact between the salt particles and the water, allowing the particles to disperse more evenly in the solution and dissolve more quickly.
To determine which factor would increase the rate at which the salt dissolves in the water, we need to understand the concept of solubility.
Solubility refers to the ability of a substance (in this case, salt) to dissolve in a solvent (water) at a given temperature and pressure. The rate of dissolution is influenced by several factors, including temperature, surface area, and agitation.
Now let's analyze each of the given options:
a) Cooling the water: Generally, decreasing the temperature of the solvent decreases the solubility of most substances, including salt. This means that less salt would dissolve at lower temperatures, which would ultimately decrease the rate of salt dissolution. Therefore, cooling the water would not increase the rate of salt dissolving.
b) Using salt cubes instead of crushed salt: In the case of using salt cubes, there would be less surface area available for the water molecules to come in contact with the salt particles. As a result, the rate of the salt dissolving would be slower compared to using crushed salt. Therefore, using salt cubes would not increase the rate of salt dissolving.
c) Stirring the solution: When a solution is stirred, it creates motion within the liquid, leading to increased collisions between the salt particles and water molecules. This enhanced contact increases the rate at which the salt particles dissolve in the water. Therefore, stirring the solution would increase the rate of salt dissolving.
So, in this case, the correct option would be "c) stirring the solution."