How do ions conduct electricity in aqueous medium?give exampe.

Open in App

Solution

The reason lies in the fact that ionic substances are made of charged particles - ions. When the ionic solid is dissolved in water the ionic lattice breaks up and the ions become free to move around in the water. When you pass electricity through the ionic solution, the ions are able to carry the electric current because of their ability to move freely.

water becomes conducting due to that presence of a minute concentration of H⁺(aq) and OH^-(aq) ions in the water. However, electrons cannot flow through water.

For eg:

HCl---> H+ + Cl-

ions H+ and Cl- are free to move in aqueous medium and thus conduct electricity.

Suggest Corrections

Similar questions

Q. Assertion:

H C l

is a covalent compound but it conducts electricity in its aqueous state. Reason: In aqueous solution

H C l

ionises to

H^{+}

and

C l^{-}

ions which are responsible for electrical conductivity.

Q. Assertion :

N a C l

is not a conductor of electricity in solid state whereas it does conduct electricity in aqueous solution as well as in molten state. Reason: In solid

N a C l

, the ions have fixed positions in the lattice structure and there are no free ions but in aqueous solution or molten state, the ions can move freely and thus conduct electricity.

Which of the following do not conduct electricity in their aqueous solution?

How is this possible that ionic compounds in the solid state do not conduct electricity and they do so in the molten state? Explain with an example. [2 MARKS]

Q. The alkaline earth metal ion that has least electrical conductivity in aqueous solutions is:

Join BYJU'S Learning Program