As H2O is a very poor electricity conductor, it needs NaCl mixed into it to be a good conductor. Then, why is water very dangerous near electricity?
In: Chemistry
Pure water, or deionized water will not conduct electricity. Most people don’t have this, as most water is going to contain salts which will conduct electricity.
Where do these salts come from? Some are naturally present in the water when it’s pulled from the ground, some are added to bottled water(mineral water) for taste. Also, because water is an excellent solvent, it’s going to dissolve metal ions from the pipes and tanks that it travels through.
All water in nature has enough stuff dissolved in it to be a conductor. Not just nacl but other salts and ions and minerals
You’ll only find water pure enough to be non conductive in non natural settings like laboratories or commercial processes that have stripped the water of literally everything
Pure water is really only available when it’s been manufactured, through deionisation processes or distillation. NaCl is just one conductor solute, in reality you can use many salts and even non-salt molecules like acids.
All groundwater contains dissolved ions which is what comes out of your taps, not to mention added ions like Cl- and F-. Rainwater also contains dissolved ions (CO3-2, NO3-, SO4-2, etc.), not salts but species which can conduct electricity, and it will also potentially pick up ions from the ground when it falls.
Because plain water naturally contains salt. Only distilled water doesn’t conduct electricity at all.
There are always some dissolved ions in water which allow it to conduct electricity. It does not have to be NaCl. Even rainwater contains carbonic acid from atmospheric CO2, which dissociates into H+ and HCO3- ions, along with some others.
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