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 :
The correct answer is c) C2H6O (ethanol). Let’s examine each option to explain why ethanol is the nonelectrolyte and why the others are not:
a) NaOH (Sodium Hydroxide):
- Why it’s not a nonelectrolyte: Sodium hydroxide is a strong electrolyte. It dissociates completely into Na⁺ and OH⁻ ions in water. This dissociation allows the solution to conduct electricity, a characteristic of electrolytes.
b) HNO3 (Nitric Acid):
- Why it’s not a nonelectrolyte: Nitric acid is a strong electrolyte. It dissociates completely into H⁺ and NO₃⁻ ions in aqueous solutions. Strong acids like HNO3 ionize fully in water, allowing the solution to conduct electricity effectively.
c) C2H6O (Ethanol):
- Why it’s a nonelectrolyte: Ethanol is a nonelectrolyte. Although ethanol can dissolve in water, it does not dissociate into ions. Instead, ethanol molecules interact with water through hydrogen bonding, but they do not form charged particles (ions). As a result, a solution of ethanol in water does not conduct electricity.
d) KF (Potassium Fluoride):
- Why it’s not a nonelectrolyte: Potassium fluoride is a strong electrolyte. It dissociates completely in water into K⁺ and F⁻ ions, which allows the solution to conduct electricity. Strong ionic compounds like KF typically dissociate completely when dissolved in water, making them good conductors of electricity.
e) CH3COOH (Acetic Acid):
- Why it’s not a nonelectrolyte: Acetic acid is a weak electrolyte. Unlike strong acids like HNO₃, acetic acid does not dissociate completely in water. Instead, it partially ionizes into H⁺ and CH₃COO⁻ ions. Although it does not dissociate fully, it still produces some ions in solution, allowing it to conduct electricity, though not as efficiently as a strong acid.
Conclusion:
- Ethanol (C2H6O) is the nonelectrolyte because it does not ionize in water, and thus does not conduct electricity, unlike the other compounds that dissociate to form ions and are classified as electrolytes.