An electrolyte will yield ions by undergoing a:
Select the correct answer below:
physical change
chemical change
spontaneous change
depends on the substance
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
The correct answer is: chemical change.
Explanation:
An electrolyte is a substance that, when dissolved in water or melted, dissociates into ions, allowing the solution to conduct electricity. This process involves breaking chemical bonds within the substance to form charged particles (ions), such as positive cations and negative anions.
When an electrolyte dissolves and yields ions, it undergoes a chemical change rather than a physical change. Here’s why:
- Physical change refers to a change in the state or appearance of a substance without altering its chemical composition. Examples include melting, freezing, or dissolving a non-electrolyte (like sugar) in water. In these cases, no new substances are formed; the molecules remain intact.
- Chemical change, on the other hand, involves making or breaking chemical bonds, resulting in new substances with different chemical properties. When an electrolyte dissolves, the ionic bonds in its crystalline lattice break, producing free ions in solution. For example, table salt (NaCl) dissolves in water to form Na⁺ and Cl⁻ ions. This dissociation is a chemical process because the ionic bonds in the solid salt are broken, and the salt no longer exists as intact NaCl molecules.
- The spontaneous change option is less precise here. Although electrolyte dissociation may occur spontaneously in water due to favorable energy changes, the key point is the nature of the change—chemical, not just spontaneous.
- The choice depends on the substance is not accurate in this context because the definition of an electrolyte specifically involves the chemical dissociation into ions. If the substance does not produce ions, it is not an electrolyte.
In summary, the defining characteristic of an electrolyte is that it chemically dissociates into ions, which requires a chemical change. This chemical change is essential for the substance to conduct electricity in aqueous solutions. Physical changes do not involve the creation of ions, so electrolytes must undergo chemical changes to yield ions.