The water supply to Dante’s house consists of hard water. Hard water is water that contains a high concentration of certain ions, usually Ca2+. The problem with hard water is that these ions react with soap to form insoluble compounds that you recognize as soap scum. When soap precipitates out of solution in this way, not only is it unavailable for cleaning, but it also leaves deposits on clothes, skin, and hair. A local company installed a system that softens the water by removing the calcium ions. The problem seemed to be solved—that is until Dante’s father went for his annual physical examination. He is on a low sodium diet and although his eating habits had not changed, his blood pressure had risen in response to increased sodium. Use this information to infer how the water was softened at Dante’s house. (Answer this)
Resolving a “Hard” Problem
The water supply to Dante’s house consists of hard water. Hard water is water that contains a high concentration of certain ions, usually Ca2+. The problem with hard water is that these ions react with soap to form insoluble compounds that you recognize as soap scum. When soap precipitates out of solution in this way, not only is it unavailable for cleaning, but it also leaves deposits on clothes, skin, and hair.
A local company installed a system that softens the water by removing the calcium ions. The problem seemed to be solved—that is until Dante’s father went for his annual physical examination. He is on a low sodium diet and although his eating habits had not changed, his blood pressure had risen in response to increased sodium.
- Use this information to infer how the water was softened at Dante’s house. (Answer this)
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