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A glass full of H2O and Na and Cl is What?


Catharsis

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I guess the title covers it... I'm just doing some thinking and would like to know what that combination would be? I know if the H2O evaporates you end up with salt?

 

So what is it before the H2O evaporates?

 

Any suggestions, comments and opinions are greatly appreciated.

 

Thank you in advance....

 

Catharsis

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Ah, thank you... I get the the salt water part (electronegativity holding them together) - but why would Na and Cl be unlikely? What is it when it doesn't have the electronegativity bond?

 

Any suggestions comments and opinions are appreciated.

 

Thank you in advance

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the symbols "Na" and "Cl" represent single, isolated, atoms of sodium and chlorine respectively. These atoms are extremely reactive and are never seen in "normal" standard conditions, which is the kind of thing you seem to be suggesting by the phrase "glass of water".

 

Something a tiny bit more stable would be a glass containing water and elemental sodium and chlorine which would be harder to represent. Metallic sodium would be what to expect in standard conditions, which could be represented by [ce]Na_{(s)}[/ce], and chlorine forms a diatomic molecular gas under "normal" conditions, which would be represented by [ce]Cl2[/ce]. These are still only very slightly more stable, since there would be an almighty explosion because the sodium and water would react, like this:

 

 

, also the sodium would react with chlorine, like this:

 

video

 

however, as I said, the most stable thing containing those elements would be a mixture of water and salt, which is sodium chloride. In sodium chloride, an electron has been lost by the sodium and gained by the chlorine, resulting in a positively charged sodium atom and a negatively charged chlorine atom, which are known as ions. This is known as ionic bonding. ionic compounds tend to be soluble in water.

 

I'd like to apologise for my fellow members' brashness and flippancy in answering your question, but i guess they must be unused to speaking to non-scientists about such topics. Fortunately, they're not teachers.

 

PS, not really sure what you mean by *electronegativity bond"

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I am.

 

I guess you're on holidays then, since your answer was unhelpful, although, admittedly very correct.

 

...I believe the technical term is 'brine'.

 

the technical term is "a solution of sodium chloride". The laymen's term is "brine"

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^Oh, shhhhhh.

 

I mean, the technical layman's term is "brine". At least, thats what Im supposed to write in my Chemistry exam when they ask for the non-chemical name.

 

Btw, technically its "an aqueous solution of sodium chloride". ;)

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I guess you're on holidays then, since your answer was unhelpful,
Yep, just started this week and so I can be as obtuse as I like now :D (anything less would be a busman's holiday), ...

 

although, admittedly very correct.
...I'm still hobbled by the professional obligation not to present anything I know is not true, dammit! :embarass:.
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I thought I could understand more by trying to “reverse” engineer things - but as usual I made a U-turn into the twilight zone. I just wanted to be confident in making the statement that Na and Cl are just one of the many “basic” properties that can be found in water (in general). But, by maybe adding more Na and Cl to the mix or by adding and taking away their electron (respectfully) they become salt.

 

Meaning I have a collection of General Ed books that will be required for a four year degree in “General Ed”. Their all laid out in front of me (the whole four years). Lets’ say this is water and all it’s properties that can be found in a glass of water....

 

Now, two of those books are called Na and Cl. Are they there awaiting to have an electron added and taken away (becoming salt) - and or - awaiting to have MORE Na and Cl to be added before the electrons can “add and subtract” becoming salt (respectfully) - needing more in order to increase the “propensity” (odds)....

 

Or do they just not exist in a state of “no” electrical charge, meaning Na and Cl and rather appear as a by-product of some “happening”... (as I think your eluding too).

 

Like electricity is a kind of by-product - its not going to exist on it’s own without something causing it. So for this example, I could say electricity dosn’t exist. (only as a by-product of something)...

 

So in closing: That’s what I didn’t know about Na & Cl - maybe they don’t exist in that form on their own just floating around - maybe they actually just appear as a by-product during a process to become “charged” and eventually salt... (like I think your saying).

 

So in my sperate blog I keep (just for fun and to give me something to do at my job as 24hour live in heath care provider to a 95 year old man) when I made the statement that Na and Cl are just basic “parts” of water like two of the text books for General Ed (example) I was WRONG. (I think, from what your saying).

 

***********************

 

My biology book used the term electronegative - (I agree, I couldn’t find it either on a Google search) but the author of the book used it, so I thought I would Monkey see monkey do....

 

In a hydrogen bond, an electronegative atom weakly attracts a hydrogen atom that is covalently bonded to a different atom.

 

I guess it’s a matter of semantics....

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catharsis, you're going to enjoy reading up on basic chemistry. Start at high-school level and work upwards as far as you like. you obviously have an enquiring mind.

 

You were wrong that Na and Cl are parts of water, although their ions [ce](Cl- and Na+)[/ce] are often found IN water, since sodium chloride is incredibly common and very soluble in water

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