Question

You have a solution of table salt in water. What happens to the salt concentration (increases, decreases, or stays the same) as the solution boils? Draw pictures to explain your answer.

Short answer

As the solution of table salt in water boils, the salt concentration increases. This occurs because the evaporation of water decreases the volume of liquid water in the solution, while the salt molecules remain in the solution and become more concentrated.

Step-by-step solution

Understanding the initial state of the solution

Before boiling, we have table salt dissolved in water. At this stage, the salt molecules are evenly distributed throughout the water.

Depict boiling

Boiling occurs when heat is applied to the solution, causing the water molecules to gain energy and move rapidly. As a result, the water will begin to turn into vapor (steam) and start leaving the solution.

Demonstrate evaporation of water

As water turns into vapor and evaporates, the volume of liquid water in the solution decreases. Since the salt is not evaporating, the salt molecules remain in the solution.

Analyze salt concentration

With the decrease in the volume of liquid water and the salt molecules remaining in the solution, the salt concentration in the remaining liquid will increase as the solution continues to boil.

Conclusion

As the solution of table salt in water boils, the salt concentration increases due to the evaporation of water. The salt molecules remain in the solution and become more concentrated as the volume of liquid water decreases. Note: Drawing pictures to explain concepts is easier done on paper or a digital drawing application, and cannot be effectively shown in plain text format. However, the above steps provide a clear explanation of what happens to salt concentration during boiling.