Conductivity Meter

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Description
Preparing the Meter
Measuring the Conductivity
Self Check Exercise
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Self Check Exercise

 

check You have been given an unknown solid, and you know that it is either NaCl or sugar. Devise an experiment that could distinguish between these two substances. No taste testing allowed! Answer

To distinguish between NaCl and sugar, first dissolve the substance in water, then measure the solution's conductivity. If the conductivity is zero, the solid is sugar, since sugar is a non-electrolyte. If the conductivity is non-zero, the solid is sodium chloride, since NaCl is a strong electrolyte.