why does the oil seem to be attracted to salt?

Question

in my science experiment, you have a glass of cold water, and on top of that, a layer of canola oil (which floats above the water because it is less dense). if you pour a little bit of salt over it, the salt sinks, and some of the oil encases the grains as it sinks. when the salt disolves, the oil once more floats to the surface.

but why is the oil attracted to the salt in the first place?

Answer 1

It's called adhesion, which is another word for stickiness The oil is lighter than the water. The salt grain with a thin layer of oil is heavier than the water. Once the salt dissolves into the water, the remaining oil is again lighter than water and floats. If the oil completely covered the salt grain, the salt would either not dissolve or would slowly dissolve and slowly permeate the oil and eventually the water. See the reference for some different kinds of adhesion and how they work.