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 C₂H₆O (ethanol) because it is a nonelectrolyte. Now, let’s analyze each option and explain why or why not they are electrolytes.
Analysis of Each Compound
- NaOH (Sodium Hydroxide) – Strong Electrolyte
- NaOH is an ionic compound that dissociates completely in water into Na⁺ and OH⁻ ions.
- This complete dissociation allows NaOH to conduct electricity, making it a strong electrolyte.
- HNO₃ (Nitric Acid) – Strong Electrolyte
- HNO₃ is a strong acid, meaning it completely ionizes in water to form H⁺ and NO₃⁻ ions.
- Since it fully ionizes, it is a strong electrolyte and conducts electricity efficiently.
- C₂H₆O (Ethanol) – Nonelectrolyte (Correct Answer)
- Ethanol is a covalent compound, meaning it does not break into ions when dissolved in water.
- Instead, ethanol molecules remain intact in solution, and since there are no free-moving charged particles (ions), it does not conduct electricity, making it a nonelectrolyte.
- KF (Potassium Fluoride) – Strong Electrolyte
- KF is an ionic compound, and it dissolves in water by fully dissociating into K⁺ and F⁻ ions.
- These ions are free to move in solution, making KF a strong electrolyte.
- CH₃COOH (Acetic Acid) – Weak Electrolyte
- Acetic acid is a weak acid, meaning it partially ionizes in water.
- Only a small fraction of CH₃COOH molecules dissociate into CH₃COO⁻ and H⁺ ions, while the rest stay as molecules.
- This partial ionization makes acetic acid a weak electrolyte because it conducts electricity but not as efficiently as strong electrolytes.
Conclusion
Ethanol (C₂H₆O) is the only nonelectrolyte in this list because it does not dissociate into ions in water, preventing electrical conductivity. The other compounds are either strong or weak electrolytes due to their ability to produce ions in solution.