Why is electricty conducted through salt water?

[scilearner]

Ok so when I pass electricty through salt water the negative ions move from highly negative area to positive area causing a current? My question is why do the move? Let's say there was Sodium and Chloride ions in water. Can't the chloride ion give an electron to sodium and make the whole solution deionized, why do they choose to move instead?

 

Thank you

[Mr Skeptic]

Sodium has one excess electron (as a group 1 metal) whereas chlorine is missing one electron (as a halogen). Atoms are much more stable when they have a full (or empty) shell of electrons. Furthermore, in water, ions are surrounded by a group of water molecules. The water molecules are polar and help to stabilize the ions.

 

Basically, in water the atoms have lower energy when they are ionized so they become ionized.

[scilearner]

Sodium has one excess electron (as a group 1 metal) whereas chlorine is missing one electron (as a halogen). Atoms are much more stable when they have a full (or empty) shell of electrons. Furthermore, in water, ions are surrounded by a group of water molecules. The water molecules are polar and help to stabilize the ions.

 

Basically, in water the atoms have lower energy when they are ionized so they become ionized.

 

Thanks for the help Skeptic I can understand why they would stay as ionized now, but I have a question about the reaction that occur in the cathode and anode. I can understand how reduction reaction can occur in the catode because they supply electrons at that end, but in the anode what make the ion lose its electrons thanks

[Newbies_Kid]

I don't know how to start my explanation but i'm certainly sure this is related to what we call electromotive force (EMF)..

 

http://www.science.uwaterloo.ca/~cchieh/cact/c123/emf.html

[rooshidavid]

The answer of this question is very simple. Salt and water are an ionic substance so they posses both negative and positive ions. Also salty water is a very good electrolyte. Hence electricity conducted through salt water.

[insane_alien]

water is not an ionic substance.

[Greippi]

water is not an ionic substance.

Although it is in equilibrium between H2O and H+ and OH-

[insane_alien]

only because its one of the few things capable of dissolving itself.

[khaled]

since electricity is the movement of electrons,

 

when one has excessive electrons they can lose in continuous exchange, which is electricity ...

[insane_alien]

khaled, is there a language barrier here or something? it seems like english isn't your first language.

[khaled]

it's not my first language, im actually an Arabic scientist