ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY OF ELECTROLYTES

AND NON-ELECTROLYTES

Regie T. Elangga

Jomar A. Dordines

De La Salle University – Dasmariñas

Dasmarinas, Cavite, Philippines

ABSTRACT

The electrical conductivity apparatus is used to test the compounds if it

has a weak, strong, and if it was a non-electrolytes this is the classification of
the compound that has been test. Some of the compound is commonly has a
strong classification, in this experiment explain that even the corrosive
chemicals is a electric conductors and also in the activity combining a two
compounds with a weak electrolytes form another compound which have a
greater electrolytes and has a higher conductive ability.

INTRODUCTION
 Some solutions exhibit electrical properties. These properties are
dependent upon the number and the nature of the charged particles within
the solutions which move between electrodes under the influence of an
electric current. Substances whose aqueous solutions are capable of
conducting an electric current are called electrolytes. On the other hand,
substances whose aqueous solutions do not conduct electricity are called
non-electrolytes. When dissolved in aqueous solutions, electrolytes produce
positively-charged ions called cations and negatively-charged ions are called
anions. Those that are completely or almost completely ionized are classifies
as strong electrolytes, while those that produce comparatively few ions
called weak electrolytes.

In able to determine the classification it used a copper wire which serve

as a cathode to able to differentiate the classification base on the figure that
has been showing by the bulb. The bulb was the detector to the compound.
In scientific basis the two corrosive compounds is being neutralized in term
of acidity. The number of ions between the electrodes (degree of ionization),
the number of charge carried by each ion and the speed with which these
ions travel indicates the current-carrying capacity of a solution. Weak
electrolytes are poor conductors of electric current and are solutes having a
low degree of ionization in water such as NH3 whereas solutes which are
very good conductors of electric current and in which the ionization reaction
with water is nearly complete are classified as strong electrolytes such as
HCl 2.

MATERIALS AND METHOD

The activity is perform into two way it is electrical properties of solutions and

reacting systems. The compound given was the one to be able to test in the
activity

distilled water, tap water, 12M HCl, 1M HCl, 1M NaOH, 1M NH4Cl, 95%
C2H5OH, 1M NaCl, conc. H2SO4, 1M H2SO4, 17M CH3COOH, 1M CH3COOH,
sodium chloride crystals, sucrose crystals and 5% sucrose solution. 100 ml
beaker was preferred to dipped the compounds in the beaker then observe
the reaction of the chemical, some of the chemical that it characteristics
when it is being dipped the electrical apparatus is stable but some of the
compound they tend to change color because of the solution is added to
another.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Table 1

solutions Observation on the classifications

brightness of light
Tap water Dim Weak
Distilled water No light Non electrolyte
12M HCL bright Strong
1M HCL Bright Strong
1M NaOH Bright Strong
1M NH4Cl Bright Strong
95% C2H5OH No light Non electrolyte
Sodium chlorides No light Non electrolyte
crystals
1M NaCl Bright Strong
Conc. H2SO4 Dim Weak
1M H2SO4 Bright Strong
17M CH3COOH Bright Weak
1M CH3COOH Dim Weak
glacial
Sucrose crystals No light Non electrolyte
5% sucrose No light Non electrolyte
solutions

Table 2

solutions Observation on the classifications

brightness of light
 1M NH4OH Bright Weak
1M CH3COOH Dim Weak
1M NH4OH + 1M Bright stong
CH3COOH

In the table shown on the top, it shows that the compound that is being
given is commonly bright or it may say that it is a electrical conduct it also
react on the electricity in distinguishing the electrolytes is base on the acidic
content of the liquid it never reacts on the soluble substance in terms of
conductivity that’s why in the table the solid substance deals with a non-
electrolytes but the liquid form of that show a different result. In other
variation the chemicals with a lower density has a weak classification to the
experiment given.

On Table 2, it can be seen that both NH4OH and CH3COOH are classified as
weak electrolytes.
This implies that NH4OH is a weak base while CH3COOH is a weak acid.
However, when both were mixed together, it was classified as a strong
electrolyte. External stress is applied to a system at equilibrium, the system
adjusts in such a way that the stress is partially offset as it tries to re-
establish equilibrium while percent ionization is a measure of the strength of
an acid. First, the extent to which a weak acid ionizes relies on the initial
concentration of the acid. The more dilute a solution

REFERENCES

(1)Samonte, J.L & Figueroa L.V. Chemistry The Essential Concepts 5th
Edition. 2008. McGraw-Hill.
Singapore.
(2) Samonte, J.L. & Figueroa L.V. General Chemistry Laboratory Manual 3rd
Edition. 2007. C & E
Publishing Inc. Quezon City. Philippines.
(3) Masterton, W.L., Slowinski, E.J., & Walford, E.T.Chem is try. 1980. Holt,
Rinehart and Winston,
Publishers. United States of America

(4)http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/freeabs_all.jsp?arnumber=4301389

(5)http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~db=all~content=a91046896
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