Question

Give the reasons for following
(i) Ionic compounds are bad conductors in the solid state but conduct electricity in solution form and in the molten state
(ii) Ionic solids are soluble in polar solvents but not in non-polar solvents

Answer 1

Explanation-
(i) In solid state, the ions in ionic solids are held firmly in position. There is no space large enough for the ions to move through, even if they could escape the forces of attraction. Since the ions cannot move, ionic solids are non-conductors of electricity. When the solid is melted to a liquid, however, the ions are free to migrate. Therefore, ionic liquids are good conductors of electric current. A conductor is a substance capable of transmitting electricity and/or heat. Ionic solids are usually quite soluble in water, and the water solutions of ionic solids are good conductors of electricity because of the freedom of the ions to migrate through the solution.

(ii) Ionic solids are polar in nature they can be dissociated into ions when dissolved into polar solvents such as water, alcohol etc.

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