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:
The correct answer is: c) C₂H₆O (ethanol)
Explanation:
An electrolyte is a substance that dissolves in water to produce ions and conduct electricity. Electrolytes can be strong (completely ionize in solution) or weak (partially ionize). A nonelectrolyte, on the other hand, dissolves in water but does not produce ions, meaning it does not conduct electricity.
Let’s evaluate each option:
a) NaOH (sodium hydroxide)
Electrolyte – Strong
NaOH is a strong base. When dissolved in water, it dissociates completely:
NaOH → Na⁺ + OH⁻
Since it produces a high concentration of ions, it is a strong electrolyte, not a nonelectrolyte.
b) HNO₃ (nitric acid)
Electrolyte – Strong
HNO₃ is a strong acid. It fully ionizes in water:
HNO₃ → H⁺ + NO₃⁻
Being fully ionized, HNO₃ is a strong electrolyte, not a nonelectrolyte.
c) C₂H₆O (ethanol)
Correct Answer – Nonelectrolyte
Ethanol is an alcohol. It dissolves well in water due to hydrogen bonding, but it does not ionize:
C₂H₆O → C₂H₆O (no ions formed)
It does not produce any significant number of ions and therefore does not conduct electricity. Hence, ethanol is a nonelectrolyte.
d) KF (potassium fluoride)
Electrolyte – Strong
KF is an ionic salt. It dissociates completely in water:
KF → K⁺ + F⁻
This complete ionization makes KF a strong electrolyte, not a nonelectrolyte.
e) CH₃COOH (acetic acid)
Electrolyte – Weak
Acetic acid only partially ionizes in water:
CH₃COOH ⇌ CH₃COO⁻ + H⁺
It forms some ions, so it is a weak electrolyte, not a nonelectrolyte.
Summary:
- NaOH → Strong electrolyte
- HNO₃ → Strong electrolyte
- C₂H₆O → Nonelectrolyte ✅
- KF → Strong electrolyte
- CH₃COOH → Weak electrolyte
Thus, ethanol (C₂H₆O) is the only nonelectrolyte among the choices.