Thank you for your help
Why is solid copper (I) nitrate a poor conductor? I know that CuNO3 is an ionic solid, so maybe (please check me on this) the electrons in CuNO3 are exchanged in the formation of electrostatic attractions found within ionic solids, so the electrons within CuNO3 do not move easily. So sincethe electrons do not move easily, they cannot easily transfer current from one electron to the next, so the circuit is not asily completed....
please correct me if any of my thinking/logic is incorrect---thank you!!
Your thinking is ok. All ionic solids, although composed of ions, are locked into place by the crystal lattice structure of the compound. Thus the ions are not free to move about and they can not conduct electricity.
ohh so conductivity has more to do with ions that carry charge, rather than electrons carrying charge???
Yes, the electric current through an electrolyte CAN be done with electrons but ionx also carry the current from one electrode to another. For an ionic salt such as Cu(I)NO3 (or Cu(NO3)2), the current is moved from one electrode to the other by the ions. Those are Cu^+2 and NO3^- in the case of Cu(NO3)2. And sometimes the H2O (although ionized only VERY slightly) conducts through H^+ and OH^-.
Your thinking and logic are correct. Solid copper(I) nitrate (CuNO3) is a poor conductor due to its ionic nature and the lack of free-moving electrons.
In an ionic solid like CuNO3, the copper(I) cations (Cu+) and nitrate anions (NO3-) are held together by strong electrostatic attractions, forming a crystal lattice structure. Because of this strong attraction, the electrons in CuNO3 are not free to move around easily.
Conduction occurs when electrons can move freely and transfer charge. Metals, for example, are good conductors because they have a "sea" of delocalized electrons that can move freely throughout the metal lattice. In contrast, ionic compounds like CuNO3 have tightly held electrons within the crystal lattice, so they cannot readily transfer charge.
When a potential difference (voltage) is applied to a solid, it requires free-moving or mobile charges to conduct electricity. In the case of CuNO3, the lack of mobile charges limits its ability to carry an electric current. Therefore, solid copper(I) nitrate is a poor conductor.
To determine why a substance is a poor conductor, it is important to consider its atomic or molecular structure and how it affects the movement of electrons.