Question

(A) Why does table salt become sticky during the rainy season?

(B) Give three factors which affect the solubility of a solid solute in a solvent.

Answer 1

(A)Table salt becomes sticky on exposure during the rainy season because table salt generally contains a small percentage of magnesium chloride, as an impurity. Since, these impurities absorb moisture from the air due to their deliquescent nature; therefore it gets wet in the rainy season and becomes sticky.

(B) The factors responsible for solubility are:

• Temperature - An increase in temperature increases the solubility.
• Pressure - Increase of pressure increases the solubility especially in gases.
• Nature of solute and solvent - Gases gets dissolved quickly as their intermolecular force of attraction is less, then liquids followed by solids.