What happens to salt crystals placed in water?

Answer 1

The dissolution of a crystal is the process of the solvent breaking down the crystal structure. The component ions of salts are held together by electrostatic attractions and the solvent must overpower these to dissolve the crystals.

To use the example of sodium chloride (table salt) in water, the sodium atom donates an electron to the chlorine atom and takes on a positive charge. The chlorine atom accepts the electron and takes on a negative charge. The two are now referred to as sodium cation and chloride anion, respectively. Once the charges are established, the two ions are attracted to each other by virtue of the relationship described in Coulomb's Law where the force between the two atoms is a function of their charges, the distance between their nuclear centers, and the Coulomb constant.

When introduced into water, the electrostatic attraction between the sodium cation and chloride anion is overpowered by the dipole moment of the water molecule. The positively charged sodium cation is attracted to the oxygen atom, which carries a partial negative charge. The chloride anion is attracted to the hydrogen atoms, which carry partial positive charges.

This gives rise to the saying, "like dissolves like," since polar solvents, like water, tend to dissolve polar solutes, like ionic salts.

Answer 2

The two ions involved in making the salt solid crystal (for instance Na and Cl in table salt) dissociate and become surround by water (called a hydration shell). If the all the water is evaporated, the two ions will reform their ionic bond and become crystal again.

Answer 3

it forms salt water (same thing that's in oceans) which I think can be called saline solution.

Answer 4

Have you ever put a pinch of salt in water? WAKE UP!