Ionic impurities, direct-current conduction

The presence of ions in solution is what gives a sodium chloride solution the ability to conduct electricity. If positively and negatively charged wires are dipped into the solution, the ions in the solution respond to the charges on the wires. Chloride anions move toward the positive wire, and sodium cations move toward the negative wire. This directed movement of ions in solution is a flow of electrical current. Pure water, which has virtually no dissolved ions, does not conduct electricity. Any solution formed by dissolving an ionic solid in water conducts electricity. Ordinary tap water, for example, contains Ionic Impurities that make It an electrical conductor. 

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