“The salt of the earth, role emergent;
Strong electrolytes, their traits observant.
Compounds’ crystals dissolve
In pure water. Resolved:
Now the water will conduct a current.”
Aqueous chemistry– the chemistry that occurs in water– constitutes yet another common topic in introductory textbooks. Species that are ionized in water are called electrolytes: these ions can go on to a variety of reactions, such as precipitations, redox, and neutralizations (acid-base reactions). The 21 April 2019 limerick explains the characteristic properties of electrolytes in aqueous solutions. Characterizing compounds as strong, weak, or non electrolytes is a useful skill to learn in introductory chemistry coursework.
“The salt of the earth, role emergent; /
Strong electrolytes, their traits observant.”
Ionic compounds are commonly called salts. If an ionic compound is water-soluble (dissolving in water rather than remaining a solid), it ionizes completely: dissociating completely into its component ions. This behavior characterizes it as a strong electrolyte.
The most famous salt is table salt: sodium chloride, a compound referenced in a wide range of contexts throughout history! It is useful to consider as a representative strong electrolyte. Table salt exists as the neutral (uncharged) chemical compound NaCl. When dissolved in water, it ionizes completely into sodium ions (represented as Na+) and chloride ions (represented as Cl–).
A weak electrolyte ionizes partially in water. Keeping our focus on the kitchen: one component of vinegar is acetic acid, a weak electrolyte with the molecular formula CH3COOH. When dissolved in water, acetic acid ionizes only partially to its component ions (CH3COO– and H+). Most of the acetic acid molecules stay in their neutral forms (as CH3COOH).
Finally, a non-electrolyte does not ionize in water. Table sugar (sucrose, C12H22O11), for instance, is a non-electrolyte. It dissolves in water, but if we looked at the compound at the molecular level, we would see that the sugar molecules all stay intact in their neutral forms.
“Compounds’ crystals dissolve/
In pure water. Resolved: /
Now the water will conduct a current.”
Where does the name “electrolyte” come from? When an electrolyte dissolves in water, the resulting solution can conduct an electric current. This is more pronounced with a strong electrolyte than a weak one, a fact which is the substance of many chemistry demonstrations! An aqueous solution of a non-electrolyte does not conduct any electric current.
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