Question

NaCl(s) ≥ Nat(aq) + Cl(aq)

A student is testing two clear liquids.
One liquid is water that has been modified with hydroxide ions to have a basic pH. The other liquid is a sports drink that contains added electrolytes, including Na+(aq). The student has available to them multiple samples of a NaCl solution and the ability to test the concentration of ions in the solution. When NaCl molecules are formed, they crystalize (form crystals). How can the student use the equilibrium reaction of sodium chloride to determine which liquid is which? In three to five sentences, explain your answer.

Answer 1

[AI-generated answer — Bot GPT 3.5]

The student can mix a sample of each clear liquid with a sample of the NaCl solution and observe if crystals of NaCl form. If crystals do form, it indicates that the Na+ ions from the NaCl solution have combined with the Cl- ions from the liquid to form NaCl crystals. Since the sports drink contains added Na+(aq) ions, it is likely that crystals will form in that solution. On the other hand, if no crystals form in the basic water solution, it suggests that the hydroxide ions present in the solution are reacting with the Na+ ions to form NaOH, preventing the formation of NaCl crystals. This way, the student can determine which liquid is which based on the presence or absence of crystal formation.