5.3 Electrolytes
Joe: For the last time, I’m pretty sure what’s killing the crops is this Brawndo stuff.
Secretary of State: But Brawndo’s got what plants crave. It’s got electrolytes.
Attorney General: So wait a minute. What you’re saying is that you want us to put water on the crops.
Joe: Yes.
Attorney General: Water. Like out the toilet?
Joe: Well, I mean, it doesn’t have to be out of the toilet, but, yeah, that’s the idea.
Secretary of State: But Brawndo’s got what plants crave.
Attorney General: It’s got electrolytes.
](files/ch13/brawndo.png)
Figure 5.7: Brawndo. It’s got electrolytes. Source
As noted before, electrolytes (substances that result in ions when dissolved), form electrically conductive solutions. The more ions that are dissolved, the more conductive the solution is. Therefore, conductivity can be used to determine
- The real van’t Hoff factor for a solution of some known concentration
- The strength of the electrolyte
](files/ch13/electrolytes.png)
Figure 5.8: Electrolyte strength. Figure from OpenStax
Strong electrolytes include:
- Strong acids
- Strong bases
- Ionic compounds that ionize completely (e.g. salts including NaCl, KNO3, MgCl2, CH3COONa)
Weak electrolytes include:
- Weak acids
- Weak bases
Below is a table of substances. Predict which ones are a strong, weak, or non-electrolyte.
Number | Substance | Formula |
---|---|---|
1 | Distilled water | H2O |
2 | Tap water | H2O |
3 | Sodium chloride | NaCl |
4 | Sugar | |
5 | Vinegar | CH3COOH |
6 | Hydrochloric acid | HCl |
7 | Sodium hydroxide | NaOH |
8 | Ethanol | C2H5OH |
9 | Barium sulfate | BaSO4 |