Question

What property makes ocean water a good conductor of electricity

Answer 1

Answer:

The salt molecules (Sodium ions and Chlorine ions) in the ocean water makes it a good conductor of electricity.

Explanation:

Conductivity refers to the ability of an object to transmit electricity. Transmitting electricity means allowing electricity to pass through the material. The best conductor of electricity is "silver." Other elements which are also good conductors are: gold, aluminum, copper, etc. Those which are poor in conducting electricity are called insulators. These include glass, plastic, rubber, paper, styrofoam, etc.

Ocean water is considered a good conductor of electricity because it contains Sodium ions and Chlorine ions. Remember that ions carry electrical charges, which could either be positive or negative. The Sodium ion here is positively charged, while the Chlorine ion is negatively charged. Being mixed with water makes it an electrolyte solution. When electricity travels, it needs to have two sources: a positive terminal and a negative terminal. This means that the Sodium ions will be attracted to the electricity's negative terminal, while the Chlorine ions will be attracted to the positive terminal. This will allow the electrons to flow through the medium, thus creating a circuit for electricity to pass through.

This is the reason why ocean water is a good conductor of electricity.