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Chapter 15: Problem 4

True or false? If a compound is a molecular substance and an acid in water, it must also be an electrolyte.

Short Answer

Expert verified
True. If a compound is a molecular substance and an acid in water, it must also be an electrolyte, as the compound will dissociate into ions when dissolved in water, leading to conduction of electricity through the solution.

Step by step solution

01

Understanding Molecular Substances

A molecular substance is a substance composed of molecules that are held together by covalent bonds. In these substances, atoms share electrons to form molecules, and the molecules themselves are held together by intermolecular forces such as hydrogen bonds, van der Waals forces, or dipole-dipole interactions.
02

Understanding Acids in Water

An acid in water is a compound that, when dissolved in water, donates hydrogen ions (protons, H+) to the water molecules, resulting in the formation of hydronium ions (H3O+). The compound's ability to donate protons to water makes it acidic and increases the concentration of hydronium ions in the solution.
03

Understanding Electrolyte

An electrolyte is a substance that, when dissolved in a solvent (usually water), dissociates into ions and conducts electricity. The ions formed in the solution facilitate the movement of charge, allowing for electrical conductivity through the solution. Electrolytes can be strong (completely dissociating) or weak (partially dissociating).
04

Connecting the Concepts

Now, let's connect our concepts: If the compound is a molecular substance and an acid in water, that means it must have the ability to donate hydrogen ions to the water when dissolved. This process results in the formation of hydronium ions (H3O+) and the conjugate base anions of the acid. The presence of these ions in the solution indicates that the compound is an electrolyte since it conducts electricity through the movement of these ions. Therefore, the answer is:
05

Conclusion

True. If a compound is a molecular substance and an acid in water, it must also be an electrolyte, as the compound will dissociate into ions when dissolved in water, leading to conduction of electricity through the solution.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

If you dissolve \(0.250 \mathrm{~g}\) of \(\mathrm{Ba}(\mathrm{OH})_{2}\) in \(3.00 \mathrm{~L}\) of water, what is the \(\mathrm{pH}\) of the solution?

Write the mathematical expression that allows you to solve for the \(\mathrm{OH}^{-}\) concentration in water when you know only the \(\mathrm{H}_{3} \mathrm{O}^{+}\) concentration.

Hydrazine, \(\mathrm{H}_{2} \mathrm{NNH}_{2}\), is a weak base that can accept two protons. Draw a dot diagram for hydrazine and write equations showing how this compound accepts protons from water in two steps.

When ammonia gas is dissolved in water, is the water behaving as an acid, as a base, or neither? Explain.

Suppose \(2.0\) moles of sodium acetate, \(\mathrm{NaO}_{2} \mathrm{CCH}_{3}\), are dissolved in some water and then \(1.0 \mathrm{~L}\) of a \(1.0 \mathrm{M} \mathrm{HCl}\) solution is added. (a) Write the chemical reaction that occurs. (b) After the reaction, what are the predominant species in solution? How many moles of each species are there? (c) Is the resulting solution a buffer? If yes, explain why.
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