Which of the following is a nonelectrolyte? Please state why or why not for each.
a) NaOH
b) HNO3
c) C2H6O (ethanol)
d) KF
e) CH3COOH (acetic acid)
The correct answer and explanation is :
A nonelectrolyte is a substance that does not dissociate into ions when dissolved in water, meaning it does not conduct electricity. To determine which of the compounds listed is a nonelectrolyte, we need to examine each one.
a) NaOH (Sodium Hydroxide)
Electrolyte: Yes.
Reason: Sodium hydroxide is a strong base that dissociates completely in water into sodium ions (Na⁺) and hydroxide ions (OH⁻). This dissociation makes NaOH an electrolyte because it produces ions that allow for the conduction of electricity.
b) HNO3 (Nitric Acid)
Electrolyte: Yes.
Reason: Nitric acid is a strong acid that dissociates completely in water to form hydrogen ions (H⁺) and nitrate ions (NO₃⁻). This dissociation into ions allows HNO3 to conduct electricity, making it an electrolyte.
c) C2H6O (Ethanol)
Nonelectrolyte: Yes.
Reason: Ethanol is a molecular compound and does not dissociate into ions in solution. When dissolved in water, ethanol molecules interact through hydrogen bonding but remain intact as C₂H₆O molecules. Since it does not produce ions, ethanol is a nonelectrolyte and does not conduct electricity.
d) KF (Potassium Fluoride)
Electrolyte: Yes.
Reason: Potassium fluoride is an ionic compound. When it dissolves in water, it dissociates into potassium ions (K⁺) and fluoride ions (F⁻). The dissociation into ions allows KF to conduct electricity, making it an electrolyte.
e) CH3COOH (Acetic Acid)
Electrolyte: Weak electrolyte.
Reason: Acetic acid is a weak acid, meaning it only partially dissociates in water. It dissociates into hydrogen ions (H⁺) and acetate ions (CH₃COO⁻), but the dissociation is incomplete, so only some acetic acid molecules break apart into ions. It is still an electrolyte, but a weak one.
Conclusion:
The nonelectrolyte in this list is C2H6O (ethanol) because it does not dissociate into ions in solution, while the others do, either completely or partially.