University:
Colorado State University
Course:
CHEM 107 | Fundamentals of Chemistry (GT-SC2)
Academic year:

2023
Views:

471

Pages:

2
Author:

Combrad H

Svante August Arrhenius' Ion Theory Why can electrolyte solutions conduct electric current, while non- electrolyte solutions cannot conduct electric current? An explanation of the problem above was first put forward by Svante August Arrhenius (1859 – 1927) from Sweden during the presentation of his PhD dissertation at Uppsala University in 1884. According to Arrhenius, electrolytes in solution will break down into particles in the form of atoms or groups of atoms. electrically charged are called ions. Ions with a positive charge are called cations, and ions with a negative charge are called anions. The event of the breakdown of an electrolyte into its ions is called the ionization process. The electrolyte ion ions are always moving freely and it is these ions that actually conduct electric current through the solution. Whereas non- electrolyte substances when dissolved in water do not break down into ions, but remain in the form of molecules that are not electrically charged. This is what causes non-electrolyte solutions to not conduct electricity. From the explanation above, it can be concluded: 1. Electrolyte solutions can conduct electric current because the electrolytes in the solution break down into electrically charged ions and these ions always move freely. 2. Non-electrolyte solutions cannot conduct electric current because the non-electrolyte substances in the solution do not break down into ions, but remain in the form of molecules that are not electrically charged. Electrolyte is a substance which in solution can conduct electricity electric current because it has been ionized into electrically charged ions. Nonelectrolyte substances are substances which in their solution form cannot conduct electric current because they are not ionized into ions, but remain in the form of molecules. Exercise 1 1. Why can electrolyte solutions conduct electricity, while non-electrolyte solutions can not? 1. Why are the ions in the electrolyte solution able to conduct electricity? 2. Why are ions electrically charged, even though atoms are neutral? Strong and Weak Electrolytes Based on the strength of the electrical conductivity, the electrolyte solution can be grouped into two, namely: a. Strong electrolyte solutions, namely electrolyte solutions that experience ionization perfect. Observation indicator: the light is bright and gas bubbles appear on the electrode. Example: H2 SO4 solution ,NaOH solution, and NaCl solution. b. Weak electrolyte solutions, namely electrolyte solutions that experience slight ionization (imperately ionized). Observation indicators: the lamp does not light up or is dim and gas bubbles appear on the electrode. Example: CH3 COOH solution and NH4 OH solution. In general, the difference between strong electrolyte solutions and weak electrolytescan be concluded as follows. Exercise 2 1. What is meant by degree of ionization? 2. According to your analysis, can orange juice conduct electricity or not? If it could conduct electricity, would it be a strong electrolyte or a weak electrolyte? Explain why!