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:
Correct Answer: Chemical Change
An electrolyte will yield ions by undergoing a chemical change.
Detailed Explanation (300+ Words):
Electrolytes are substances that, when dissolved in water, produce a solution that can conduct electricity. This conductivity arises due to the presence of free-moving ions in the solution. For ions to be produced from a neutral compound, a chemical change must occur.
A chemical change involves the breaking and forming of chemical bonds, leading to the formation of new substances with different properties from the original substance. When an electrolyte dissolves in water, it undergoes dissociation or ionization—a type of chemical change. In this process, the molecules or formula units of the electrolyte separate into positive and negative ions.
There are two primary types of electrolytes:
- Ionic Compounds (e.g., NaCl): When sodium chloride (NaCl), a salt, dissolves in water, it dissociates into sodium ions (Na⁺) and chloride ions (Cl⁻). This dissociation is a chemical process because it involves the breaking of ionic bonds in the solid lattice. $$
\text{NaCl (s)} \rightarrow \text{Na⁺ (aq)} + \text{Cl⁻ (aq)}
$$ - Molecular Compounds (e.g., HCl): Some covalently bonded molecules like hydrochloric acid (HCl) ionize in water. HCl reacts with water to form hydrogen ions (H⁺) and chloride ions (Cl⁻). This is also a chemical change because it involves breaking covalent bonds and forming new interactions with water. $$
\text{HCl (aq)} \rightarrow \text{H⁺ (aq)} + \text{Cl⁻ (aq)}
$$
In contrast, physical changes (like melting, freezing, or dissolving without ionization) do not involve the formation of new substances or ions. Spontaneous changes describe the tendency of a process to occur without external input but don’t specifically define whether the process is physical or chemical.