What is the salt that absorbs water called? - ProProfs Discuss
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What is the salt that absorbs water called?

Asked by Alas kajim, Last updated: Apr 13, 2024

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8 Answers

K. Myers

K. Myers

K. Myers
K. Myers, Blogger, Chicago

Answered Jan 28, 2021

The salt that absorbs water is referred to as hygroscopic. A good example of such a kind of salt is calcium chloride, with a chemical formula of CaCl2. Hygroscopy, generally, is a term that is used to refer to the quality of water, being able to absorb and adsorb.

Therefore, water being a very useful universal solvent, hygroscopic substances are substances that can easily absorb or adsorb water from its environment. This feature is more effective at ordinary room temperature. Though many substances try to exhibit this feature, salts are the perfect example of hygroscopic substances.

This works in such a way that the molecule of the hygroscopic substance attracts the molecules of water, and this causes a physical change like an increase in volume. Other properties that can also change include viscosity, boiling point, color, and temperature. More examples of salt as hygroscopic substances include zinc chloride, sodium hydroxide crystals, sodium chloride, and etc.

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Leo Samuels

Leo Samuels

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Leo Samuels
Leo Samuels, Content Writer, PG, California

Answered Jan 22, 2021

Salt is an ionic compound that is used for many purposes. It is also referred to as an arrangement of cations, positively charged atoms, and anions or negatively charged atoms that are joined together. The salt that absorbs water is called Hygroscopic. Hygroscopic attracts water molecules by holding water either by absorption or adsorption.

Its substances include cellulose fibers such as wood, ethanol, honey, caramel, cotton, and so on. There are other salts that also absorb water, such as Zinc chloride, calcium chloride, or potassium hydroxide. The process by which a substance absorbs water from the atmosphere until it dissolves is called deliquescence.

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C. OWENS

C. OWENS

I love to do some charity work. Have a passion for writing and do it in my spare time

C. OWENS
C. OWENS, philanthropist, MD, Bristol

Answered Jan 22, 2021

Hygroscopic Salt is the correct answer to this question. Hygroscopic means that the chemical components of the substance have a charge that is positive. This positive charge will allow the atmospheric water, which has a negative charge to attract to the substance. An example of hygroscopic salt in real life is when you are using a salt shaker.

If you lay a damp napkin on top of the salt shaker and then turn the salt shaker upside down for a few seconds, when you take the napkin off, you will see traces of the salt that stay on top. These traces of salt would be wet or moist, because it attracted the water from the napkin

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S. Barnes

S. Barnes

Driving down to Knowledge town

S. Barnes
S. Barnes, Chauffeur, Graduate, Seattle

Answered Jan 21, 2021

The correct answer to this question is Hygroscopic Salt. This type of salt is always able to attract water. It attracts water from what is around it. This water can be attracted through two different processes. One is adsorption. This process occurs when a solid holds a liquid or gas' molecules and it is held as a thin film.

The other process is absorption. This process involves the water being absorbed by the salt. While many people know about salt being Hygroscopic, there are many other substances that are Hygroscopic. Another example is honey, which can be used to sweeten teas and meals, as well as sugar.

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Victoria Martian

Victoria Martian

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Victoria Martian
Victoria Martian, Blogger, B.com in Journalism, New York

Answered Jan 19, 2021

A salt that absorbs water is called a hygroscopic. Calcium dioxide is an example of such a type of salt. Hygroscope is the phenomenon of inviting and carrying water molecules through absorption from the surrounding environment, usually at average room temperature. Suppose water molecules become suspended among the substance’s molecules.

In that case, absorbing elements can become physically changed, changing in volume, boiling point, viscosity, or some other physical attribute or property of the substance. Hygroscopic substances consist of cellulose fibers, like cotton and paper, sugar, caramel, honey, glycerol, ethanol, methanol, wood, sulfuric acid, many fertilizer chemicals, many salts, and a myriad of other items.

The quantity of moisture held by hygroscopic materials is proportional to the relative humidity. Hygroscopic also plays a crucial role in the manufacturing of plastic items. Some plastics are hygroscopic, although others are not.

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J. Alva

J. Alva

J. Alva
J. Alva

Answered Jan 19, 2021

You would call this type of salt, hygroscopic salt. There are different types of salts that are available right now that will have the ability to absorb water easily. The water will normally come from the water vapor that can be found in the atmosphere and the process of absorbing the water may happen at room temperature. There are other types of items that may seem hygroscopic but they are not.

For example, you cannot say that pepper is hygroscopic because if you would try to mix water with pepper, you will start to see the ground pepper float to the top of the water or sink when they are still in the form of peppercorns.

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R. Barnes

R. Barnes

Always excited to learn and talk about new topics

R. Barnes
R. Barnes, Analyst, PhD, Clinton

Answered Jan 14, 2021

There are different types of salt that will have the ability to absorb water. For example, you can use zinc chloride or even calcium chloride so that you will have salt that will absorb water properly. Another type of salt that you can use is potassium hydroxide.

Sodium hydroxide is another type of salt that you can use for this purpose too. As long as you are familiar with the different types of salts and you would like them to have the ability to absorb water, you will not have a hard time doing so. The process by which any substance is able to absorb water is called “deliquescence.”

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alas kajim

alas kajim

alas kajim
Alas kajim

Answered Aug 08, 2018

Hygroscopic Salt
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