Different Concentrations Of Salt Water As A Conductor Of

Electricity

A Scientific Paper Presented to the

Faculty of Southville International School and Colleges

In Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements in Science, Biology

Miguel Fredric M. Santos

Grade 8 Integrity
Academic Year [2018-2019]

i
Acknowledgments
The researcher would like to extend his deepest gratitude to the following people

who have helped him in the completion of this research paper:

His classmates, for their guidance and continued inspiration to finish this research

paper.

His science teacher, Mr. Daryl Pedro, for providing and teaching the research

format and guiding him in developing the research ideas and always keeping track

of his progress.

Above all, to Our Blessed God, for guiding him through any obstacle faced with

his Divine Mercy and Love and for providing him with the strength to finish this

whole research paper.

ii
Abstract
 The purpose of this research is to conduct an experiment to show which

concentrations of salt water has the most resistance so that more electrons can pass

through. Mixing salt to the solution helps create a bridge for the positive and negative

ions to pass through the solution, the study tests what amount of salt is best for

conducting electricity. The researcher must make two contact points, one copper and one

zinc, the two points must be dipped into the solution with different amounts of salt to see

which has a lower resistance on the multimeter. The examination must be repeated three

times for the trials, and the researcher will repeat every trial but the solution will be

mixed. The results may be written down on a piece of paper.

Based on the results of the research, the solution that was stirred revealed a much

lower resistance than the solution that wasn’t mixed. The solution with the concentration

of 20 grams of salt showed the lowest resistance between all the other solutions, while the

solution with 5 grams of salt showed the most changes between trials, the solution

showed a lower resistance than the solution with 10 grams of salt. After the investigation,

the researcher recommended that the next researcher must use different equipment for

different concentrations to avoid getting more salt in another trial. Another suggestion

that the researcher would like to recommend is to use a digital multimeter, as using an

analog one made the researcher have a harder time reading the multimeter as it could not

show the exact value if read incorrectly.

 TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE PAGE

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT i

ABSTRACT ii
CHAPTERS

I. THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

Introduction 1

Statement of the Problem 2

Hypothesis of the Study 3

Significance of the Study 3

II. METHODOLOGY

Materials 5

Procedures 6

Experimental Design / Diagram 7

III. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 11

IV. CONCLUSIONS 13

APPENDIX 15

BIBLIOGRAPHY 16
 1

Chapter 1

The Problem and Its Background

Introduction

The researcher first did a small experiment on producing electricity using salt

water, but then the researcher had an idea to experiment how the salt water affects the

conduction of electricity. This could potentially save a lot of money on manufacturing

thick wires because salt water could be extracted from the sea and can be used as a
temporary solution for lack of wires around the city, or could also be a possible method

for power sharing.

Electricity is a form of energy resulting from the existence of charged particles

that travel through a substance or conductor. In some conductors, such as copper, the

electrons can travel through the substance, carrying the current. In other conductors, such

as salt water, the current is transported by molecules called ions.

Pure water is not so conductive, because of that, only a little bit of current can

move through the water. When salt or sodium chloride (NaCl) is dissolved in the water,

the salt molecules get split into two pieces, a sodium ion, and a chlorine ion. The

sodium ion does not have an electron, which has a positive charge. While the chlorine ion

has one extra electron, giving it a negative charge.

An electric source transporting electrons needs two terminals: one negative that

conducts electrons into the water, and a positive one that removes the electrons in the

water. The ions form a bridge, the sodium ions absorbing electrons from the negative

terminal, passing them to chlorine ions and then the positive terminal. The two opposite
charges attract, so the chlorine is attracted to the positive terminal, and the sodium ions

are attracted to the negative terminal.

Statement of the Problem

 In the researcher’s study, the researcher aimed to find out which concentration of

salt water is best for using as a conductor of electricity.

Specifically, the researcher sought to answer the following questions:

1. Which concentration of salt water is the best for conducting electricity?

2. Does mixing the salt in water affect the conduction of electricity?

Hypothesis

1. Alternative: If the concentration of salt is higher, then electricity can pass through

easily.

2. Null: If the concentration of salt is higher, then electricity cannot pass through

easily.

Significance of the Study

This is essential because this could solve the world’s major issue, the lack of

money. This can be used to construct an environmental-friendly wire for conveying

electricity across the world. Since this is environmental-friendly, it could be produced

easily, at a reasonable price.

Learners can use this analysis as their basis or their reference when they are

doing their own research paper or experiment. They could also use this to compare with
their experiment to check if they did something incorrectly, they could also improve the

experiment if possible.

Educators can benefit by using it for teaching students enhanced detailed

education. This could also be used for referencing in students textbooks, and for

comparison between student’s experiments for grading.

Engineers could improve this current experiment and incorporate it in

developing a cheaper alternative for wires, and could also be consolidated into some design

features of a building. Can be used as pollution-free wires, that has no harm to the

ecosystem.

Definition of terms

Ion - is an atom or molecule that has an electric charge.

Electron - is a fundamental unit of negative charge.

Resistance - is the measure to block or slow down the flow of electricity.

Conductivity - is the degree to which electricity can pass through the material.

Particle - is a small localized object to which can be ascribed several physical or

chemical properties.

Scope and limitations

The researcher experienced some limitations that could affect the results from the

test, the method of measuring amounts of salt was not done properly, the only way to
measure exact amounts is to use a digital weighing scale that shows up to three decimal

points, but instead the researcher had used measuring spoons that get close to the right

amount, but not exactly.

Chapter 2

Methodology

I. Materials
 This study used the following materials and equipment:

A. Materials

● Iodized salt

● 4 Small bottles of water

● Copper wire

● Nails (Zinc)

● Alligator Clips

B. Equipment/Apparatus

● Multimeter

● Bowl

● Stirring Rod

● Weighing Scale

II.Procedure

Preparation

The researcher would first need to prepare four bowls with the same amount of

water, then the researcher will measure 20 grams, 10 grams, and 5 grams of salt. Then the

researcher will add 20 grams of salt to one solution and add 10 grams of salt to another

solution, then add 5 grams of salt to the last solution. Next, the researcher will then cut the
copper wires to the same lengths, the researcher may strip the wire if needed to expose the

copper, and bend them in half, then find zinc, preferably nails, that are the same in size.

Testing

After setting up, the researcher may now start the research, the researcher may

attach the alligator clips to the zinc and copper, then connect the other end of the alligator

clips to the multimeter, copper being connected to positive, while zinc is connected to

ground. Then the researcher will set the multimeter to the resistance setting, then dip both

zinc and copper in each bowl, and then measure how much ohms the solution is outputting,

and then writing down the results. After doing the first bowl, the researcher may now

repeat the test for all the other bowls with the different concentrations of salt. After the

researcher collects all data, the researcher shall now mix all solutions and repeat the entire

procedure three more times for all the trials.

III.Experimental Design / Diagram

IV. Pictures of the Experiment

Prepare four bowls with the same amount Then pour 20 grams, 10 grams, of
water. and 5 grams of salt in each
bowl.

9
Then strip the copper wire to expose the Then the copper wire must be
copper. bent to fit the size of the nail.

Then the zinc and copper may be connected to the alligator clips that are connected to
the ground and positive leads of the multimeter.

10
Then measure the resistance of the solution. Write down the results from
the multimeter.

Mix the solution so that the salt will be mixed. Then measure the resistance again,
but this time the solution is mixed.

11
Then the procedure may be repeated for all the other variations and also for all the other
trials.

12

Chapter 3
 Results and Discussion

In table one, the results are based on how much resistance there are in the solution

with certain concentrations of salt and also for the solutions that were mixed.

Table 1. Different Concentrations Of Salt (Not Mixed)

Set-up Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3

5g 100Ω 100Ω 150Ω

10g 150Ω 100Ω 120Ω

20g 60Ω 80Ω 60Ω

No Salt 5,000Ω 3,000Ω 4,000Ω

Table 1 shows that the lowest concentration of salt showed an unexpected behavior,

the results were lower than what would be the results from 10g of salt, which means

electricity was able to pass through more on 5g of salt than 10g of salt. Though on 20g, the

highest concentration, it was able to reach a lower resistance, meaning most of the electrons

passing through didn’t get lost in the solution. The results from the solution with no salt

showed that it had the most resistance, meaning most of the electrons weren’t able to go

through the solution.

13

Based on the results, a possible reason why 5g had a lower resistance than the concentration

of 10g is that the first time when the two connection points were dipped in, there could be
a possibility that the contact points got rusted after the first test which could cause the trials

for 10g of salt to have a much higher resistance because the electrons didn’t pass through

with oxidation on the contacts.

Table 2. The Effect Of Mixing In The Different Concentrations Of Salt. (Mixed)

Set-up Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3

5g 50Ω 50Ω 40Ω

10g 30Ω 30Ω 30Ω

20g 20Ω 25Ω 26Ω

No Salt 5,000Ω 5,000Ω 4,000Ω

Table 2 shows that all of the different concentrations were able to decrease their

resistance by mixing the solution. The concentrations showed a consistent resistance,

comparing the results from the first table, the resistance the showed in this test showed a

lower resistance by 3 times its original resistance. And the results on the solution without

salt showed about the same results as the last table.

14

Chapter 4

Summary
 The study shows that, based on the outcomes from the tables, the solution with

5 grams of salt that wasn’t mixed showed a lower resistance than the results from the

solution with 10 grams of salt. However, mixing the solution resulted in consistent

resistance value, the solution with 5 grams of salt showed an average of 47 ohms, which

is much less than in the solution that isn’t mixed. The solution with no salt showed the

same resistance.

Conclusions

Based on the major findings of the study, the following are concluded:

1. The researcher concluded based on the test results, that mixing the solution

resulted in much lower resistance, meaning most of the ions passed through the solution.

2. The results from the solution without salt showed that it is mostly unaffected

since there wasn’t any salt in the solution. The only reason the resistance lowered is that

there could be salt left on the contacts which could be from the last trial.

15

3. The researcher concluded that mixing the solution with a concentration of 20g of

salt affected its resistance the most, making that set up the best for conducting electricity

through salt water.

 Recommendation

The researcher would like to recommend the next researcher to use a digital

multimeter because an analog multimeter is hard to read when shown in the picture. The

researcher would also like to recommend to get multiple bowls, copper, and zinc so that

the next researcher could avoid having little amounts of salt left on the contacts that could

ruin the results in the table. The researcher recommended that the next researcher must use

a weighing scale to avoid inaccurate measurements of salt instead of using measuring

spoons.

16
Appendix
 17

Bibliography

Conductivity, Salinity & Total Dissolved Solids. 3 Mar 2014. Retrieved January 7, 2019,

from Fondriest Environmental: https://www.fondriest.com/environmental-

measurements/parameters/water-quality/conductivity-salinity-tds/

How to Measure the Conductivity of Water with a Multimeter. March 13, 2018.

Retrieved January 6, 2019, from William Hirsch: https://sciencing.com/measure-

conductivity-water-multimeter-8523350.html

How to Use a Multimeter. (n.d.). Retrieved January 6, 2019, from SparkFun:

https://learn.sparkfun.com/tutorials/how-to-use-a-multimeter

Ohmmeter Usage. (n.d.). Retrieved January 24, 2019, from All About Circuits:

https://www.allaboutcircuits.com/textbook/experiments/chpt-2/ohmmeter-usage/
Why Salt in Water Can Conduct Electricity. April 24, 2017. Retrieved December 15,

2018, from Isaiah David: https://sciencing.com/salt-water-can-conduct-electricity-

5245694.html

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