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Chapter 4: Problem 1

Explain why some electrolyte solutions are strongly conducting, whereas others are weakly conducting.

Short Answer

Expert verified
Strong electrolytes fully dissociate in solution, producing more ions and leading to higher conductivity, while weak electrolytes partially dissociate, resulting in fewer ions and lower conductivity.

Step by step solution

01

Understand the Role of Electrolytes in Conducting Electricity

Electrolytes are substances that produce ions when dissolved in water. These ions are the charge carriers that enable the solution to conduct electricity. The ability of the solution to conduct electricity depends on the number of free ions present in the solution.
02

Difference Between Strong and Weak Electrolytes

Strong electrolytes completely dissociate into ions in solution, resulting in a large number of ions. Weak electrolytes, on the other hand, only partially dissociate, producing fewer ions in solution. This fundamental difference affects their conductive properties.
03

Conductivity and Ion Concentration

The conductivity of an electrolyte solution is directly proportional to the concentration of ions. Strong electrolytes, producing a high concentration of ions, conduct electricity well, whereas weak electrolytes, with fewer ions, have a lower conductivity.
04

Examples of Strong and Weak Electrolytes

Common examples of strong electrolytes include sodium chloride (NaCl) and hydrochloric acid (HCl), both of which dissociate completely in water. Acetic acid (CH鈧僀OOH) is an example of a weak electrolyte that only partially dissociates.

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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 aggressively dissociate into ions when they dissolve in water. Think about dropping sugar into coffee; if sugar acted like a strong electrolyte, it would break apart into tiny pieces and mix entirely, rather than just dissolving.

Key characteristics of strong electrolytes include:
  • They separate fully into cations (positive ions) and anions (negative ions).
  • The complete dissociation results in a high concentration of ions.
  • This high ion concentration allows these solutions to conduct electricity very well.
Common examples of strong electrolytes include sodium chloride (NaCl) and hydrochloric acid (HCl). When these substances dissolve, they don't linger as molecules but break into ions, making them excellent conductors of electricity.
Weak Electrolytes
Weak electrolytes, on the contrary, only partially dissociate into ions when dissolved in water. Imagine cracking an egg and only allowing part of it to break apart in the batter; that's similar to how weak electrolytes behave in solution.

Key features of weak electrolytes include:
  • They produce fewer ions in solution compared to strong electrolytes.
  • This results in a lower ion concentration.
  • As a result, weak electrolytes are poor conductors of electricity.
An example is acetic acid (CH鈧僀OOH), found in vinegar. Even when completely dissolved, it remains largely as CH鈧僀OOH with only a small fraction turning into ions. This incomplete dissociation makes solutions containing weak electrolytes less conductive.
Ion Concentration
Ion concentration refers to the number of ions present in a solution. This is a crucial factor that influences the electrical conductivity of an electrolyte solution. Imagine ions as tiny connectors in a string of Christmas lights: the more connectors in place, the more easily electricity can flow.

In the case of strong electrolytes, complete dissociation means more ions are available:
  • A higher ion concentration leads to better conductivity, akin to an unbroken chain of bulbs brightening effectively.
With weak electrolytes, the opposite is true:
  • Fewer ions result in diminished conductivity, similar to a poorly connected light string.
Recognizing the importance of ion concentration helps in understanding why different solutions conduct electricity differently.
Electrical Conductivity
The electrical conductivity of a solution is its ability to conduct electric current. Conductivity in electrolytes depends significantly on how many free-moving ions are available in the solution to transmit electric charges鈥攆rom one end of a solution to the other.

Important points about electrical conductivity include:
  • Strong electrolytes have high conductivity due to the abundance of ions.
  • Weak electrolytes display low conductivity, mirroring their sparse ion population.
  • Conductivity can be easily measured to determine an electrolyte's strength.
Understanding conductivity can help predict how an electrolyte solution will behave in practical situations, from transmitting signals in batteries to powering crucial biochemical processes.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

A flask contains \(49.8 \mathrm{~mL}\) of \(0.150 \mathrm{M} \mathrm{Ca}(\mathrm{OH})_{2}\) (calcium hydroxide). How many milliliters of \(0.350 \mathrm{M} \mathrm{Na}_{2} \mathrm{CO}_{3}\) (sodium carbonate) are required to react completely with the calcium hydroxide in the following reaction? $$ \mathrm{Na}_{2} \mathrm{CO}_{3}(a q)+\mathrm{Ca}(\mathrm{OH})_{2}(a q) \longrightarrow \mathrm{CaCO}_{3}(s)+2 \mathrm{NaOH}(a q) $$

Aluminum metal reacts with perchloric acid to produce hydrogen gas and a solution of aluminum perchlorate. Write the molecular equation for this reaction. Then write the corresponding net ionic equation.

A sample of oxalic acid, \(\mathrm{H}_{2} \mathrm{C}_{2} \mathrm{O}_{4}\), weighing \(1.192 \mathrm{~g}\) is placed in a \(100.0-\mathrm{mL}\) volumetric flask, which is then filled to the mark with water. What is the molarity of the solution?

How many grams of sodium dichromate, \(\mathrm{Na}_{2} \mathrm{Cr}_{2} \mathrm{O}_{7}\), should be added to a \(100.0-\mathrm{mL}\) volumetric flask to prepare \(0.025 \mathrm{M} \mathrm{Na}_{2} \mathrm{Cr}_{2} \mathrm{O}_{7}\) when the flask is filled to the mark with water?

Complete and balance each of the following molecular equations, including phase labels, if a reaction occurs. Then write the net ionic equation. If no reaction occurs, write \(N R\) after the arrow. a. \(\mathrm{HClO}_{4}+\mathrm{BaCO}_{3} \longrightarrow\) b. \(\mathrm{H}_{2} \mathrm{CO}_{3}+\mathrm{Sr}(\mathrm{OH})_{2} \longrightarrow\) c. \(\mathrm{K}_{3} \mathrm{PO}_{4}+\mathrm{MgCl}_{2} \longrightarrow\) d. \(\mathrm{FeSO}_{4}+\mathrm{MgCl}_{2} \longrightarrow\)
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