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). Here’s an explanation for each option:
a) NaOH (Sodium Hydroxide)
- Electrolyte: NaOH is a strong electrolyte. It completely dissociates in water into Na⁺ and OH⁻ ions. This dissociation allows NaOH to conduct electricity in aqueous solutions, making it an electrolyte. Since it dissociates fully, it is categorized as a strong electrolyte.
b) HNO3 (Nitric Acid)
- Electrolyte: HNO3 is a strong acid, and it dissociates completely in water to form H⁺ and NO₃⁻ ions. Like NaOH, this complete dissociation allows HNO3 to conduct electricity in solution, categorizing it as a strong electrolyte.
c) C2H6O (Ethanol)
- Non-electrolyte: Ethanol is a non-electrolyte. Although it is polar and can form hydrogen bonds with water, it does not dissociate into ions in solution. For a substance to be classified as an electrolyte, it must dissociate into charged particles (ions) in solution. Ethanol (C₂H₆O), despite being soluble in water, does not break into ions and thus does not conduct electricity. This makes it a non-electrolyte.
d) KF (Potassium Fluoride)
- Electrolyte: KF is a salt that dissociates completely in water into K⁺ and F⁻ ions. Since it breaks apart into ions in aqueous solution, it conducts electricity, making it a strong electrolyte.
e) CH3COOH (Acetic Acid)
- Electrolyte: Acetic acid is a weak electrolyte. It partially dissociates in water into H⁺ and CH₃COO⁻ ions, but it does not fully ionize. As a result, it conducts electricity to a lesser degree than strong electrolytes like NaOH and HNO3. Since it produces ions, it is still considered an electrolyte, but because it only partially dissociates, it is a weak one.
Summary
The key to identifying electrolytes is whether a substance dissociates into ions in solution. Ethanol (C₂H₆O) does not dissociate into ions, which is why it is the non-electrolyte in this list.