[Bassaml7]

Hi,

I have a quick basic question . It's related to fundamental Chemistry . If I dissolve large amounts of  a highly soluble salt such as NaCl in 100ml water , would the total volume of the solution increase after complete dissolution or it's just the density of the solution that increases meaning that the total volume remains 100ml while total mass increases provided that the salt completely dissolves . I am thinking that hydrogen bonds between water molecules are distant forces which means ions just get surrounded by water shells and the total volume doesn't increase beyond 100ml since salt ions just get in the "gaps" between water molecules. What do you think ? Is that actually the case ?

Please cite a reference if possible.

Thank you

[Arctic-Nation]

I don't have a reference, but water (as all liquids) is actually pretty tightly packed, thus adding any salt to it will increase the volume. This is the reason why, when making standard solutions, complete solubilization of the solid is necessary before filling the volumetric flask up to the mark.
You can test this pretty easily by taking a volumetric flask, filling it with water, and adding an amount of salt to it.