alleryStart learning →Solid sodium chloride does not conduct electricity, but the molten salt does. Why?
AIts ions gain extra valence electrons
BIts bonds change from ionic to metallic
CIts ions lose their electrical charge
DIts ions become free to move about
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: D. Its ions become free to move about
1. Conduction needs charged particles that are free to travel through the material.
2. In the solid, the strength of the ionic bonds pins each ion in the lattice, so nothing can carry a current.
3. Melting breaks up that lattice and the ions can move about freely, so the melt conducts well.
4. The ions keep the same charges throughout, and no bond type changes on melting.
_Source: OpenStax Chemistry (CC BY 4.0), Ch 7 "Chemical Bonding and Molecular Geometry", section 7.1 Ionic Bonding_
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