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Chapter 4: Problem 5

Water is an extremely weak electrolyte and therefore cannot conduct electricity. Why are we often cautioned not to operate electrical appliances when our hands are wet?

Short Answer

Expert verified
The caution against using electrical appliances with wet hands is due to the fact that water can contain impurities that increase its ion concentration, making it a better conductor of electricity. When such water comes in contact with electricity, it can conduct the electric charge to us, leading to potential harm.

Step by step solution

01

Understand the basic properties of water

Water in its pure form is a poor conductor of electricity because it has a low number of free ions (from dissociation of H2O into H+ and OH-) which can carry an electrical charge. This is what it means for water to be a weak electrolyte.
02

Role of impurities in water

However, when water comes in contact with skin or is exposed to the environment, it often picks up impurities like salts and dissolved minerals. These impurities increase the ion concentration in water, converting it into a better electrolytic conductor.
03

Connection with electrical appliances

When hands are wet and come in contact with an electrical appliance, they can potentially conduct electricity onto ourselves (human body is primarily made up of water, another good electrolyte) causing electrical injuries or fatal electrocutions.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Sodium carbonate \(\left(\mathrm{Na}_{2} \mathrm{CO}_{3}\right)\) is available in very pure form and can be used to standardize acid solutions. What is the molarity of a HCl solution if \(28.3 \mathrm{~mL}\) of the solution are required to react with \(0.256 \mathrm{~g}\) of \(\mathrm{Na}_{2} \mathrm{CO}_{3} ?\)

Nitric acid is a strong oxidizing agent. State which of the following species is least likely to be produced when nitric acid reacts with a strong reducing agent such as zinc metal, and explain why: \(\mathrm{N}_{2} \mathrm{O}\) \(\mathrm{NO}, \mathrm{NO}_{2}, \mathrm{~N}_{2} \mathrm{O}_{4}, \mathrm{~N}_{2} \mathrm{O}_{5}, \mathrm{NH}_{4}^{+}\).

How would you prepare \(60.0 \mathrm{~mL}\) of \(0.200 \mathrm{M} \mathrm{HNO}_{3}\) from a stock solution of \(4.00 \mathrm{M} \mathrm{HNO}_{3}\) ?

Oxalic acid \(\left(\mathrm{H}_{2} \mathrm{C}_{2} \mathrm{O}_{4}\right)\) is present in many plants and vegetables. If \(24.0 \mathrm{~mL}\) of \(0.0100 \mathrm{M} \mathrm{KMnO}_{4}\) solution is needed to titrate \(1.00 \mathrm{~g}\) of a sample of \(\mathrm{H}_{2} \mathrm{C}_{2} \mathrm{O}_{4}\) to the equivalence point, what is the percent by mass of \(\mathrm{H}_{2} \mathrm{C}_{2} \mathrm{O}_{4}\) in the sample? The net ionic equation is \(2 \mathrm{MnO}_{4}^{-}+16 \mathrm{H}^{+}+5 \mathrm{C}_{2} \mathrm{O}_{4}^{2-} \longrightarrow\) \(2 \mathrm{Mn}^{2+}+10 \mathrm{CO}_{2}+8 \mathrm{H}_{2} \mathrm{O}\)

Which of the following are redox processes? (a) \(\mathrm{CO}_{2} \longrightarrow \mathrm{CO}_{3}^{2-}\) (b) \(\mathrm{VO}_{3} \longrightarrow \mathrm{VO}_{2}\) (c) \(\mathrm{SO}_{3} \longrightarrow \mathrm{SO}_{4}^{2-}\) (d) \(\mathrm{NO}_{2}^{-} \longrightarrow \mathrm{NO}_{3}^{-}\) (e) \(\mathrm{Cr}^{3+} \longrightarrow \mathrm{CrO}_{4}^{2-}\)
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