State whether each of the following statements is true or false. Justify your answer in each case. (a) When acetone, \(\mathrm{CH}_{3} \mathrm{COCH}_{3}\), is dissolved in water, a conducting solution results. (b) When ammonium nitrate, \(\mathrm{NH}_{4} \mathrm{NO}_{3}\), dissolves in water, the solution is weakly conducting and basic in nature.

Acetone, \(\mathrm{CH}_{3} \mathrm{COCH}_{3}\), is a covalent compound; formed by the sharing of electrons between non-metal atoms (carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen). When dissolved in water, it forms a homogenous mixture also known as a solution, but it does not dissociate into ions. Electrolytes are substances that, when dissolved in water, dissociate into ions and become capable of conducting an electric current. Since acetone does not dissociate into ions in water, it cannot produce a conducting solution. The statement is: \(False\)

Ammonium nitrate, \(\mathrm{NH}_{4} \mathrm{NO}_{3}\), is a salt formed from the reaction between a weak base (ammonium hydroxide, \(\mathrm{NH}_{4}\mathrm{OH}\)) and a strong acid (nitric acid: \(\mathrm{NO}_{3}\)). When dissolved in water, it completely dissociates into its constituent ions, \(\mathrm{NH}_{4}^{+}\) (ammonium) and \(\mathrm{NO}_{3}^{-}\) (nitrate). Since it dissociates into ions, the solution of ammonium nitrate in water is capable of conducting electricity, making it a weakly conducting solution as stated in the problem. Now we need to determine the nature of the solution (whether it is acidic or basic). As mentioned earlier, ammonium nitrate is a salt of a weak base and a strong acid. In water, the ammonium ion (\(\mathrm{NH}_{4}^{+}\)) can donate a proton (\(\mathrm{H}^{+}\)) to water molecules, forming \(\mathrm{NH}_{3}\) (ammonia) and \(\mathrm{H}_{3}\mathrm{O}^{+}\) (hydronium ion). On the other hand, nitrate ion (\(\mathrm{NO}_{3}^{-}\)) does not associate with water and doesn't influence the pH. Since the solution contains \(\mathrm{H}_{3}\mathrm{O}^{+}\) ions, it has a pH below 7, meaning it should be acidic, not basic, in nature. The statement is: \(False\) In summary, both statements (a) and (b) are false. Acetone does not form a conducting solution when dissolved in water, and a solution of ammonium nitrate in water is weakly conducting and acidic in nature, not basic.