Practice: Each of the following reactions depicts a solute dissolving in water. Classify each solute as a strong electrolyte, a weak electrolyte or a non-electrolyte.
Electrolytes are compounds that can conduct electricity once they are dissolved in a solvent.
Whenever you add a solute to a solvent there are three possible outcomes: the solute dissolves completely, dissolves partially or doesn't dissolve at all into ions.
Concept #1: Strong Electrolytes
Strong Electrolytes break up into ions completely and are grouped into 3 categories: Soluble Ionic Compounds, Strong Acids and Strong Bases.
Example #1: Write a balanced equation for the dissociation of the following strong electrolyte in water: Fe(NO3)3
Concept #2: Weak Electrolytes
Weak Electrolytes partially break up into ions and are grouped into 3 categories: Insoluble Ionic Compounds, Weak Acids and Weak Bases.
Example #2: Benzoic acid, C6H5COOH, is a weak acid. Would you expect benzoic acid solution to contain:
Concept #3: Non-Electrolytes
Non-Electrolytes do NOT break up into ions at all and are commonly referred to as molecular compounds.
Example #3: The dissolution of a compound is given by the reaction below:
Identify each of the following solutions as either electrolytic, weakly electrolytic or non-electrolytic.
Practice: Each of the following reactions depicts a solute dissolving in water. Classify each solute as a strong electrolyte, a weak electrolyte or a non-electrolyte.
Practice: Which of the following represents a non-electrolyte?
a) (CH3)2NH2 b) NaOH c) HIO3 d) C2H5OH e) CsNH2
