Question

If you pour a handful of salt into a full glass of water, the water level will actually go down rather than overflowing the glass.why?

Answer 1

Hi Zumi - Initially when you add salt to the water, the water level may appear to go down because the water molecules are pulled together by electrostatic forces of the ionic salt. Eventually though, as more salt as added and the substances are mixed, the salt will fill the spaces between water molecules until it is saturated, in which case the water could possibly overflow.