You Have Two Beakers

question 17

Multiple Choice

You have two beakers. One contains pure water, the other contains pure methanol (wood alcohol) . The covalent bonds of methanol molecules are nonpolar, so there are no hydrogen bonds among methanol molecules. You pour crystals of table salt (NaCl) into each beaker. Predict what will happen.

• A) Equal amounts of NaCl crystals will dissolve in both water and methanol.
• B) NaCl crystals will NOT dissolve in either water or methanol.
• C) NaCl crystals will dissolve readily in water but will not dissolve in methanol.
• D) NaCl crystals will dissolve readily in methanol but will not dissolve in water.
• E) When the first crystals of NaCl are added to water or to methanol, they will not dissolve; but as more crystals are added, the crystals will begin to dissolve faster and faster.

---

Definitions:

Confirmation Error

What occurs when focusing only on information that confirms a decision already made.

Sunk-Cost Fallacy

The misconception that more resources should be dedicated to something because significant resources have already been spent.

Escalation Of Commitment

The phenomenon where people increase their investment in a decision despite new evidence suggesting it may be wrong.

Advance Limits

Predetermined restrictions or ceilings on the amount of funding, resources, or credit that can be allocated or extended in advance of certain conditions being met.