Does solid sodium chloride, a compound made of charged particles, conduct electricity? Why or why not?
1 Answer
Jul 7, 2016
It aqueous solution or in the melt phase, yes. In the solid phase, it does not conduct electricity.
Explanation:
Solid sodium chloride is indeed composed of charged particles, but they are all locked into a lattice structure, and therefore do not have freedom to move around.
When dissolved in water, however, or if sodium chloride is at very high temperature and is molten, then the sodium and chloride ions can move and therefore are able to conduct electricity.
