Salt Densifying Liquids

Most recent answer: 12/08/2010

Q:
is water the only liquid that salt makes denser?
- Jane Doe (age 15)
Mason, Ohio, Austraila
A:
No. I believe that most salts will increase the density of alcohols etc. in which they dissolve. Generally salts only dissolve well in polar liquids, since in non-polar liquids the electrostatic cost of separating the opposite charges is high.


Slightly off-topic curiosity: Not all salts increase the volume of water. There's at least one, MgSO4, which slightly lowers the volume of water. So that makes it increase the density even more.

Mike W.

(published on 12/08/2010)