electrolyte

Examples of electrolyte in the following topics:

• Sodium, Electrolytes, and Fluid Balance

  • Electrolytes play a vital role in maintaining homeostasis within the body.
  • Electrolytes play a vital role in maintaining homeostasis within the body.
  • Electrolyte imbalances can develop from excessive or diminished ingestion and from excessive or diminished elimination of an electrolyte.
  • The most common cause of electrolyte disturbances is renal failure.
  • Other electrolyte imbalances are less common, and often occur in conjunction with major electrolyte changes.

• 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.

• Transport of Electrolytes across Cell Membranes

  • Salt and other compounds that dissociate into their component ions are called electrolytes.
  • Electrolytes are lost from the body during urination and perspiration.
  • For this reason, athletes are encouraged to replace electrolytes and fluids during periods of increased activity and perspiration.
  • Because electrolytes dissociate into ions, adding relatively more solute molecules to a solution, they exert a greater osmotic pressure per unit mass than non-electrolytes such as glucose.
  • Explain the relationship between osmotic pressure and the transport of electrolytes across cell membranes

• 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.

• Introduction to Osmoregulation

  • This amount is necessary for the proper balance of electrolytes in the human body.
  • Osmoregulation is the process of maintenance of salt and water balance (osmotic balance) across membranes within the body's fluids, which are composed of water plus electrolytes and non-electrolytes.
  • An electrolyte is a solute that dissociates into ions when dissolved in water.
  • Both electrolytes and non-electrolytes contribute to the osmotic balance.
  • The body is subject to a continual intake and loss of water and electrolytes.

• 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.