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Chapter 5: Problem 1

What is an electrolyte? How can you differentiate experimentally between a weak electrolyte and a strong electrolyte? Give an example of each.

Short Answer

Expert verified
An electrolyte is a substance that conducts electricity when dissolved. Differentiate strong and weak electrolytes by measuring their conductivity; strong electrolytes conduct more.

Step by step solution

01

Understanding Electrolytes

Electrolytes are substances that dissociate into ions when dissolved in a solvent, typically water, and conduct electricity. They include salts, acids, and bases. Electrolytes are crucial for various bodily functions and are also significant in chemical reactions.
02

Defining Strong and Weak Electrolytes

Strong electrolytes completely dissociate into ions in solution, allowing for high conductivity. Examples include sodium chloride (NaCl) and hydrochloric acid (HCl). Weak electrolytes partially dissociate into ions, leading to lower conductivity. Examples include acetic acid (CH鈧僀OOH) and ammonia (NH鈧�).
03

Experimental Differentiation

To determine if an electrolyte is strong or weak, conduct an experiment measuring the electrical conductivity of its solution. Use a conductivity meter to observe how well the solution conducts electricity. A strong electrolyte will show high conductivity, whereas a weak electrolyte will demonstrate low conductivity.
04

Example of a Strong Electrolyte

Sodium chloride (NaCl) is a well-known strong electrolyte. When dissolved, it dissociates completely into Na鈦� and Cl鈦� ions.
05

Example of a Weak Electrolyte

Acetic acid (CH鈧僀OOH) is a common weak electrolyte. In water, it only partially dissociates into CH鈧僀OO鈦� and H鈦� ions.

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Key Concepts

These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.

Strong Electrolytes
Strong electrolytes are substances that, when dissolved in a solvent like water, dissociate completely into ions. This full dissociation means that they are great conductors of electricity, as ions are the charge carriers in solutions. The most common examples of strong electrolytes are salts like sodium chloride (NaCl), acids like hydrochloric acid (HCl), and bases such as sodium hydroxide (NaOH).
When NaCl dissolves in water, it separates entirely into sodium ions (Na鈦�) and chloride ions (Cl鈦�). Because of this complete dissociation, if you were to measure the solution's conductivity, you'd find it very high.
  • Full dissociation means high conductivity.
  • Typical examples include salts and strong acids/bases.
  • Commonly used in labs to show high-conductivity solutions.
Weak Electrolytes
Weak electrolytes are substances that do not dissociate completely in a solution. Only a small percentage of their molecules separate into ions, resulting in a solution that conducts electricity poorly.

Examples of weak electrolytes include acetic acid (CH鈧僀OOH) and ammonia (NH鈧�). When acetic acid dissolves in water, only a few molecules ionize to form CH鈧僀OO鈦� and H鈦� ions, so the conductivity is low.
  • Partial dissociation means low conductivity.
  • Common in organic acids and weak bases.
  • Less effective in conducting electricity compared to strong electrolytes.
Conductivity Measurement
Conductivity measurement is a practical way to distinguish between strong and weak electrolytes. Conductivity refers to a solution's ability to conduct electric current, and it is directly related to the number of ions present in the solution.
You can measure conductivity using a conductivity meter. This device gauges how well a solution can carry an electric current. If your solution has high conductivity, it's likely a strong electrolyte. If it's low, you're likely dealing with a weak electrolyte.
  • Direct method to differentiate electrolytes.
  • Uses devices like conductivity meters.
  • Correlates with ion concentration, not solution concentration.
Dissociation of Ions
Dissociation of ions is a key concept underpinning the behavior of electrolytes. It is the process by which ionic substances split into ions when dissolved. The degree of dissociation distinguishes strong electrolytes from weak ones.
Strong electrolytes dissociate completely, meaning every molecule in a sample separates into ions. In contrast, weak electrolytes only partially dissociate, leaving most molecules intact.
This distinction impacts the conductivity, as more ions mean better electricity conduction.
  • Complete dissociation in strong electrolytes.
  • Partial dissociation in weak electrolytes.
  • Critical in determining an electrolyte's conductivity.

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