electrolyte

Examples of electrolyte in the following topics:

• Electrolyte and Nonelectrolyte Solutions

  • Electrolyte solutions are normally formed when a salt is placed into a solvent such as water.
  • Therefore, compounds that readily form ions in solution are known as strong electrolytes.
  • (By this reasoning, all strong acids and strong bases are strong electrolytes.)
  • A strong electrolyte will completely dissociate into its component ions in solution; a weak electrolyte, on the other hand, will remain mostly undissociated in solution.
  • An example of a weak electrolyte is acetic acid, which is also a weak acid.

• Electrolytic Cells

  • Electrolysis uses electrical energy to induce a chemical reaction, which then takes place in an electrolytic cell.
  • An electrolyte: a substance containing free ions that carry electric current.
  • A direct current (DC) supply: provides the energy necessary to create or discharge the ions in the electrolyte.
  • Two electrodes: an electrical conductor that provides the physical interface between the electrical circuit providing the energy and the electrolyte.
  • Choosing a suitable electrode depends on the chemical reactivity between the electrode and electrolyte, and the cost of manufacture.

• Vapor Pressure of Electrolyte Solutions

  • The vapor pressure of an electrolytic solution is dependent on the ratio of solute to solvent molecules in a solution.
  • A simple example of an electrolyte solution is sodium chloride in water.
  • In the presence of water, solid sodium chloride dissociates as it is dissolved, forming an electrolyte solution:
  • Glucose is a non-electrolyte and does not break apart.
  • Compare the relative vapor pressures of a pure solvent and an electrolyte solution composed of the same solvent

• Electrolysis of Water

  • Pure water cannot undergo significant electrolysis without an electrolyte, such as an acid or a base.
  • Pure water cannot undergo significant electrolysis without adding an electrolyte.
  • If the object is to produce hydrogen and oxygen, the added electrolyte must be energetically more difficult to oxidize or reduce than water itself.
  • Recall the properties of an electrolyte that enable the electrolysis of water

• Electrolytic Properties

  • When electrodes are placed in an electrolyte solution and a voltage is applied, the electrolyte will conduct electricity.
  • When electrodes are placed in an electrolyte solution and a voltage is applied, the electrolyte will conduct electricity.
  • As a result, a negative charge cloud develops in the electrolyte around the cathode, and a positive charge develops around the anode.
  • The ions in the electrolyte neutralize these charges, enabling the electrons to keep flowing and the reactions to continue.
  • In other systems, the electrode reactions can involve electrode metal as well as electrolyte ions.

• Medical Solutions: Colligative Properties

  • These electrolytic solutions share the same colligative properties as chemical solutions.
  • Most commonly, saline is used in intravenous (IV) therapy, which provides water and electrolytes to a patient.
  • The electrolyte-water ratio that regulates many of the body's functions is part of this.
  • Plasma osmolarity is the measure of the body's electrolyte-water balance.
  • There are two common measurements used to determine the amount of electrolyte in a solution.

• Dry Cell Battery

  • A dry-cell battery uses an immobilized electrolyte that minimizes moisture and allows for superior portability.
  • A dry cell has the electrolyte immobilized as a paste, with only enough moisture in it to allow current to flow.
  • The electrolyte is a paste of ammonium chloride (NH4Cl).
  • Alkaline batteries are almost the same as zinc-carbon batteries, except that the electrolyte used is potassium hydroxide (KOH) rather than ammonium chloride.
  • Between them, the electrolyte paste works as the battery.

• Predicting the Products of Electrolysis

  • An electrolyte: a substance containing free ions, which are the carriers of electric current in the electrolyte.
  • A direct current (DC) supply: provides the energy necessary to create or discharge the ions in the electrolyte.
  • The required products of electrolysis are in a different physical state from the electrolyte and can be removed by some physical processes.
  • Those atoms that gain or lose electrons become charged ions that pass into the electrolyte.
  • Those ions that gain or lose electrons to become uncharged atoms separate from the electrolyte.

• Electrolysis Stoichiometry

  • The extent of chemical change that occurs in an electrolytic cell is stoichiometrically related to the number of moles of electrons that pass through the cell.
  • The weights of substances formed at an electrode during electrolysis are directly proportional to the quantity of electricity that passes through the electrolyte.

• Electrochemical Cell Notation

  • ., solid electrode | liquid with electrolyte).
  • If the electrolytes in the cells are not at standard conditions, concentrations and/or pressure, they are included in parentheses with the phase notation.
  • If no concentration or pressure is noted, the electrolytes in the cells are assumed to be at standard conditions (1.00 M or 1.00 atm and 298 K).