Acids Bases and Salts

[ferhatcey]

Electrolytes are compounds that ionize in water to produce aqueous solutions that conduct an electric current. Nonelectrolytes are substances that do not ionize, remain as molecules, and do not conduct an electric current.

Strength: Strong electrolytes are molecules that ionize 100% (or nearly so) and conduct an electric current well. Weak electrolytes barely or partially ionize; most molecules remaining un-ionized, and conduct an electric current poorly.

Examples: Nitric acid (HNO3) is a strong electrolyte. HNO3 => H+1 + NO3-1
If 1.00 mole of HNO3 is dissolved in water, it will ionize to produce 1.00 mole of H+1 and 1.00 mole of NO3-1 . There will not be any HNO3 left, unionized. By contrast, one mole of a weak electrolyte will produce much less than 1.00 mole of its constituent ions. One mole of acetic acid

HC2H3O2 <=> H+1 + C2H3O2-1

might produce .05 moles of H+1 and .05 moles of C2H3O2-1 and still contain .95 moles of the original acetic acid.