If the salt bridge is removed from the two half-cells, the voltage

drops to zero

The answer is (1) The voltage drops to zero.

The salt bridge is a device that allows ions to flow between the two half-cells of a galvanic cell. This is necessary to maintain electrical neutrality, as the oxidation of one half-cell will produce positive ions, while the reduction of the other half-cell will produce negative ions. The salt bridge allows these ions to flow between the half-cells, preventing the build-up of charge and keeping the cell functioning.

If the salt bridge is removed, the ions will not be able to flow between the half-cells. This will cause the build-up of charge, which will eventually stop the cell from functioning. The voltage of the cell will drop to zero.

Therefore, the voltage of the cell will drop to zero if the salt bridge is removed.