Which of the following is a nonelectrolyte? Please state why or why not for each. Thanks
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. It does not conduct electricity because it does not produce free-moving charged particles (ions). To determine which of the given substances is a nonelectrolyte, we need to consider each compound and its behavior in water:
a) NaOH (Sodium hydroxide)
- Electrolyte: NaOH is a strong base and dissociates completely in water into Na⁺ and OH⁻ ions.
- Reason: NaOH is an ionic compound, and in water, it dissociates completely, making it a strong electrolyte. It conducts electricity in aqueous solution because of the free-moving ions.
b) HNO3 (Nitric acid)
- Electrolyte: HNO3 is a strong acid and dissociates completely in water into H⁺ and NO₃⁻ ions.
- Reason: Nitric acid is a strong acid that fully ionizes in water, making it a strong electrolyte. The dissociation into ions allows it to conduct electricity.
c) C2H6O (Ethanol)
- Nonelectrolyte: Ethanol (C₂H₆O) does not ionize in water.
- Reason: Ethanol is a molecular compound and does not dissociate into ions. Instead, it dissolves in water, but it remains intact as neutral molecules. Since there are no ions formed, ethanol is a nonelectrolyte and does not conduct electricity in solution.
d) KF (Potassium fluoride)
- Electrolyte: KF is an ionic compound that dissociates completely in water into K⁺ and F⁻ ions.
- Reason: Potassium fluoride is an ionic compound, and in water, it dissociates completely, making it a strong electrolyte. It conducts electricity due to the presence of free-moving ions.
e) CH3COOH (Acetic acid)
- Electrolyte (weak): Acetic acid is a weak acid that only partially ionizes in water, forming CH₃COO⁻ and H⁺ ions.
- Reason: While acetic acid does ionize in water, it does so incompletely, making it a weak electrolyte. It still conducts electricity but to a lesser extent than strong electrolytes.
Correct Answer:
- The nonelectrolyte in the list is C₂H₆O (ethanol). It does not dissociate into ions in water, so it does not conduct electricity. All the other compounds (NaOH, HNO3, KF, CH3COOH) either dissociate completely (strong electrolytes) or partially (weak electrolyte), and thus they are capable of conducting electricity.