Provide a balanced equation for the hydration of each of the following compounds. A.) sodium sulfate, Na2SO4(s)Na2SO4(s), a strong electrolyte Express your answer as a chemical equation. Identify all of the phases in your answer.   B.) ethyl alcohol, CH3CH2OH(l)CH3CH2OH(l), a nonelectrolyte Express your answer as a chemical equation. Identify all of the phases in your answer  C.) hypochlorous acid, HClO(aq)HClO(aq), a weak electrolyte Express your answer as a chemical equation. Identify all of the phases in your answer.
Provide a balanced equation for the hydration of each of the following compounds.
A.) sodium sulfate, Na2SO4(s)Na2SO4(s), a strong electrolyte
Express your answer as a chemical equation. Identify all of the phases in your answer.   B.) ethyl alcohol, CH3CH2OH(l)CH3CH2OH(l), a nonelectrolyte Express your answer as a chemical equation. Identify all of the phases in your answer  C.) hypochlorous acid, HClO(aq)HClO(aq), a weak electrolyte Express your answer as a chemical equation. Identify all of the phases in your answer.
The Correct Answer and Explanation is :
Let’s go through each compound and its hydration process. Hydration refers to the addition of water (H₂O) to a substance, and we will look at each case considering the nature of the compounds: whether they are strong electrolytes, nonelectrolytes, or weak electrolytes.
A) Sodium Sulfate, Na₂SO₄(s) (a strong electrolyte)
Sodium sulfate is an ionic compound that dissolves completely in water. As a strong electrolyte, it dissociates fully into its ions when hydrated. The equation for the hydration of sodium sulfate is:
[
\text{Na}_2\text{SO}_4(s) \xrightarrow{\text{H}_2\text{O}} 2\text{Na}^+(aq) + \text{SO}_4^{2-}(aq)
]
- Explanation: Sodium sulfate in solid form dissociates into sodium ions (Na⁺) and sulfate ions (SO₄²⁻) when it interacts with water. This is characteristic of a strong electrolyte because the compound dissociates completely in water.
B) Ethyl Alcohol, CH₃CH₂OH(l) (a nonelectrolyte)
Ethyl alcohol (ethanol) is a nonelectrolyte, which means it does not dissociate into ions in water. Instead, it simply mixes with water, forming a solution. The hydration of ethyl alcohol is as follows:
[
\text{CH}_3\text{CH}_2\text{OH}(l) + \text{H}_2\text{O}(l) \rightarrow \text{CH}_3\text{CH}_2\text{OH}(aq)
]
- Explanation: Ethyl alcohol does not dissociate into ions; rather, it dissolves in water as a whole molecule. This is why it is considered a nonelectrolyte. The ethanol molecules interact with water molecules through hydrogen bonding, but no ionic dissociation occurs.
C) Hypochlorous Acid, HClO(aq) (a weak electrolyte)
Hypochlorous acid is a weak electrolyte, which means it partially dissociates into ions in water. The hydration (dissociation) of hypochlorous acid is:
[
\text{HClO}(aq) \rightleftharpoons \text{H}^+(aq) + \text{ClO}^-(aq)
]
- Explanation: Hypochlorous acid, being a weak electrolyte, only partially dissociates into hydrogen ions (H⁺) and hypochlorite ions (ClO⁻) in water. Unlike strong electrolytes, this dissociation is reversible, and the equilibrium position favors the undissociated form in solution.
Conclusion:
- A) Sodium sulfate dissociates completely into ions in water (strong electrolyte).
- B) Ethyl alcohol dissolves without dissociating (nonelectrolyte).
- C) Hypochlorous acid dissociates partially into ions (weak electrolyte).
Each of these processes involves water interacting with the compound, but the extent of dissociation varies based on the nature of the compound.