A strong electrolyte is a solution/solute that completely, or almost completely, ionizes or dissociates in a solution. These ions are good conductors of electric current in the solution.
Originally, a "strong electrolyte" was defined as a chemical that, when in aqueous solution, is a good conductor of electricity. With a greater understanding of the properties of ions in solution, its definition was replaced by the present one.
A concentrated solution of this strong electrolyte has a lower vapor pressure than that of pure water at the same temperature. Strong acids, strong bases and soluble ionic salts that are not weak acids or weak bases are strong electrolytes.
A substance whose aqueous solution or molten state decomposed into ions by passing electricity is known as electrolytes.
Writing reactions
For strong electrolytes, a single reaction arrow shows that the reaction occurs completely in one direction, in contrast to the dissociation of weak electrolytes, which both ionize and re-bond in significant quantities.[1]
- Strong electrolyte(aq) → Cation+(aq) + Anion−(aq)
Strong electrolytes conduct electricity only when molten or in aqueous solutions. Strong electrolytes break apart into ions completely.
The stronger an electrolyte the greater the voltage produced when used in a galvanic cell.
Examples
Strong Acids
- Perchloric acid HClO4
- Hydriodic acid HI
- Hydrobromic acid HBr
- Hydrochloric acid HCl
- Sulfuric acid H2SO4
- Nitric acid HNO3
- Chloric acid HClO3
- Bromic acid HBrO3
- Perbromic acid HBrO4
- Periodic acid HIO4
- Fluoroantimonic acid HSbF6
- Magic acid FSO3HSbF5
- Carborane superacid H(CHB11Cl11)
- Fluorosulfuric acid FSO3H
- Triflic acid CF3SO3H
Strong Bases
- Lithium hydroxide LiOH
- Sodium hydroxide NaOH
- Potassium hydroxide KOH
- Rubidium hydroxide RbOH
- Caesium hydroxide CsOH
- Calcium hydroxide Ca(OH)2
- Strontium hydroxide Sr(OH)2
- Barium hydroxide Ba(OH)2
- Lithium diisopropylamide (LDA) C6H14LiN
- Lithium diethylamide (LDEA)
- Sodium amide NaNH2
- Sodium hydride NaH
- Lithium bis(trimethylsilyl)amide ((CH3)3Si)2NLi
Salts
- Sodium chloride NaCl
- Potassium nitrate KNO3
- Magnesium chloride MgCl2
- Sodium acetate CH3COONa
See also
- Electrolyte
- Dissociation constant
References
- ^ Brown, Theodore L. Chemistry: The Central Science, 9th edition.