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Electrolytes & Nonelectrolytes

Electrolytes are substances that produce ions in solution.


Substances can be categorized as strong electrolytes, weak
electrolytes or nonelectrolytes.

Strong Electrolytes
Strong electrolytes are substances that only exist as ions in
solution. Ionic compounds are typically strong electrolytes.
Strong acids, strong bases and salts are strong electrolytes.
When solid NaCl is placed in water, it completely dissociates to
form Na+ and Cl- ions.
H2O
NaCl(s) → Na+ (aq) + Cl-(aq)

Weak Electrolytes
A weak electrolyte only partially dissociates in solution and
produces relatively few ions. Polar covalent compounds are
typically weak electrolytes. Weak acids and weak bases are
weak electrolytes.
H2O

CH3COOH(l) CH3COO- (aq) + H+(aq)

Nonelectrolytes
A nonelectrolyte does not dissociate at all in solution and
therefore does not produce any ions. Nonelectrolytes are
typically polar covalent substances that do dissolve in water as
molecules instead of ions. Sugar (C12H22O11) is a good example
of a nonelectrolyte.
H2O
C12H22O11 (s) → C12H22O11 (aq)

Examples of Electrolytes
Strong electrolyte Weak electrolyte Non-electrolyte
Sea water Tap water Chemically pure water
Hydrochloric acid Carbonic acid Alcohol
Sulphuric acid Acetic acid Kerosene
Aqueous copper sulphate Ammonium hydroxide Aqueous sugar solution
Molten lead bromide Citric acid Carbon disulphide
Aqueous sodium chloride Oxalic acid
Nitric acid
Aqueous potassium hydroxide

How to Distinguish Electrolytes from


Nonelectrolytes
Electrolytes are substances that conduct electricity when dissolved in water.
Nonelectrolytes are substances that don’t conduct electricity when in these states.

When an ionic compound such as sodium chloride is put into water, the water
molecules attract both the cations and anions in the crystal and pull them into the
solution (see the crystal shown in the figure). The cations and anions get distributed
throughout the solution.

The crystal structure of sodium chloride.


You can detect the presence of these ions by using an instrument called a conductivity
tester. A conductivity tester tests whether water solutions of various substances conduct
electricity. It’s composed of a light bulb with two electrodes attached.

The light bulb is plugged into a wall outlet, but it doesn’t light until some type of
conductor (substance capable of transmitting electricity) between the electrodes
completes the circuit. (A finger will complete the circuit, so this experiment should be
done carefully.)

When you place the electrodes in pure water, nothing happens, because there’s no
conductor between the electrodes. Pure water is a nonconductor. But if you put the
electrodes in the NaCl solution, the light bulb lights, because the ions conduct the
electricity (carry the electrons) from one electrode to the other.

You don’t even need the water. If you were to melt pure NaCl (it requires a lot of heat!)
and then place the electrodes in it, you’d find that the molten table salt also conducts
electricity. In the molten state, the NaCl ions are free to move and carry electrons, just
as they are in the saltwater solution.

Scientists can get some good clues as to the type of bonding in a compound by
discovering whether a substance is an electrolyte or a nonelectrolyte. Ionically bonded
substances act as electrolytes. But covalently bonded compounds, in which no ions are
present, are commonly nonelectrolytes.

Table sugar, or sucrose, is a good example of a nonelectrolyte. You can dissolve sugar
in water.

QUESTION:
List two electrolytes and two non-electrolytes. What characteristics give them the
distinction of being electrolytes or non-electrolytes.

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