Question

explain what happens when salt is added to water and free ends of electrical wires are dipped in it???

Answer 1

The salt (NaCL) water solution is an electrolyte solution which is, essentially, a conductive solution.

The conductivity of the salt water is due to the presence of both positively and negatively charged ions These ions in solution are free to accelerate in the presence of an electric field and thus, like the free electrons in a metal conductor, are able to participate in an electric current (not to be confused with anelectron current).

When there is an electric current through the salt water, there are actually two contributions: (1) the positive sodium ions drifting in the direction of the electric current and (2) the negative chlorine ions drifting the opposite direction.

While it may seem that the oppositely directed ion currents should cancel they, in fact, add. The flow of negative ions contributes to an electric current in the opposite direction due to the negative sign of their charge.

At the interface between the metal conductor and salt water, there are reactions that either remove electrons or add electrons to the conductors thus completing the path for charge to flow around the circuit.