Question

Explain why, a salt which does not conduct electricity in the solid state becomes a good conductor in molten state.

Answer 1

In the solid state, the ions of a salt are held in a rigid crystal lattice by strong electrostatic forces of attraction. Because these ions are fixed in position, they cannot move to conduct electricity. However, when the salt melts, heat energy breaks these strong bonds, causing the constituent ions to separate. These free-moving ions now act as mobile charge carriers, allowing electricity to flow through the molten salt.