Electrolytes

The term electrolyte is a term used when talking about solutions with water as the solvent. We demonstrate the property of being an electrolyte with an electrical conductivity tester like this.

Pure water does not conduct electricity. I will put the electrodes of this apparatus into a beaker of pure water. There is no light coming from the light bulb. If I dissolve a material in this water and the light lights brightly, the dissolved material is called a strong electrolyte.

As an example, here is a small amount of table salt. As I add it to the water and dissolve it, it dissolves by breaking into charged particles, the ions of sodium and chlorine, which now allow the solution to conduct electricity. So the ionic substance table salt is a strong electrolyte

The term non-electrolyte refers to a substance which dissolves in water but does not allow electrical conductivity. Here is some water and some sugar. As the sugar dissolves, the light does NOT light up. So sugar is a non-electrolyte.

Some acids and bases are also strong electrolytes. Here as an example is some hydrochloric acid. Only a little in the water allows the light to light up very brightly. So the acid is also a strong electrolyte and is called a strong acid.

Acetic acid, on the other hand, dissolves but allows very little electricity to go through the water. See how the light bulb gives off much less light. Thus we call acetic acid a weak electrolyte and a weak acid.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• chemistry
• experiment
• whitesell
• uco
• university of central oklahoma
• electrolytes
• acid
• base
• conduct
• lightbulb

[JRock005]

What sorcery is this?

[hellsbells747]

Helped alot! Thanks!

[MrReleasethehoundz]

@Eddy8738 Sometimes I like to make fun comments AND learn. My bad if it offended you. I do genuinely adore his look though.

[Eddy8738]

@Releasethehoundz hey this guy here is trying to teach us something if u dont like it then why did you come here in the first place

[rpayne121]

That awkward moment when he dissolves the sugar

[gtahoer]

omg santa is a chemist

[xredb]

i have a question

so if NaCl can conduct electricity why dont we just use saltwater to generate electricity???

[amkfoolz]

So I made my own electric conductivity test and when I dip the two negative copper wires that aren't attached together into water containing dissolved salt, the bulb doesn't light up. Can you please tell me what I'm doing wrong. It's killing me!

[Releasethehoundz]

What happens if you dip your 70's porn 'stache in to the water beaker? Will it light the bulb? I say...STRONG ELECTROLYTE

[tjterris1]

this is a man among men