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Chemistry Forums for Students => Physical Chemistry Forum => Topic started by: ador11 on November 16, 2012, 03:06:46 PM

Title: How to find out whether the electrolyte is strong/weak?
Post by: ador11 on November 16, 2012, 03:06:46 PM

Hello, I´m new in here and I´ve been looking for a topic which would answer my question, however I didn´t find anything, so I decided to make a topic on my own, asking how is it possible for me (knowing basics from chemistry, just finishing high school) to know whether a substance (the only thing I know about it is the formula, eg. HCl, K2SO4, etc..) is an electrolyte, and if it is, how strong/weak electrolyte it is.
PS: Dont judge me by this question pls, this is the field of chemistry we have never been speaking about on our chemistry lessons.
Thanks for the answers :)

Title: Re: How to find out whether the electrolyte is strong/weak?
Post by: Sophia7X on November 16, 2012, 11:51:44 PM

Strong electrolytes = fully ionize/dissociate. So you need to know your solubility rules and strong acids for this.

example: HCl is a strong acid and therefore strong electrolyte (100% ionization)
HC2H3O2 is a weak acid and therefore weak electrolyte ( small % ionization)

Title: Re: How to find out whether the electrolyte is strong/weak?
Post by: ador11 on November 17, 2012, 05:32:21 AM

Well, thank you, but now the question is, how to I find whethere the acid/base is strong/weak, its solubility, etc?? Just by looking at them..Thx

Title: Re: How to find out whether the electrolyte is strong/weak?
Post by: Borek on November 17, 2012, 06:36:26 AM

You remember strong acids and strong bases (not many of them) and everything else is weak.