What is the difference?

[kassandra]

Can someone explain to me what the difference is between table salt disolving in water and table sugar disolving in water? This is something that came up in my Bio 12 class when we were talking about acids and bases and the Bronset Lowry Theory.

Im guessing that the answer is nothing...there is no difference but I highly doubt that Im right.

[D H]

Look into how temperature affects the saturation level of the two solutions and how well the two solutions conduct electricity.

[Danger]

Also, you can drink only one of them without getting sick. Why?

[RogueSpidor]

Because salt is sodium and chloride (NaCl); both are far more toxic to humans than carbon, hydrogen and oxygen (C6H12O6).

Granted, we eat a little salt, and our bodies actually need it. But the toxicologist's credo is "the dose maketh the poison." Any substance, in sufficiently large doses, can become toxic.

More information can be obtained by doing some research concerning LD50; that is, the amount of a substance which can be considered to be a lethal dose for 50 percent of all subjects that receive it.

[Danger]

Thanks, Rogue; that was a good response. Actually, though, the question was just a pointer to another avenue of research for Kassandra.

[RogueSpidor]

Oh. Sorry; I didn't realize. But it doesn't answer it all, and introduces the LD50 system, so that should also be helpful to research, so I wasn't a complete knucklehead there.

I hope, anyway...

[Danger]

Not at all. I did the same thing several times before I got used to the idea that PF policy is to steer someone toward an answer rather than spoon-feed a final solution. You're going to be quite valuable here. :smile: