electrolytic
(adjective)
Of, relating to, or using electrolysis.
Examples of electrolytic in the following topics:
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.