An aqueous solution of HCl has a high electrical conductivity when compared to the compound in hexane, whilst the conductivity of a solution of the compound in diethyl ether has an intermediate value. Explain.
The difference in electrical conductivity between an aqueous solution of HCl and the compound in hexane or diethyl ether can be explained by the presence of ions in the solution.
In an aqueous HCl solution, HCl dissociates into H+ and Cl- ions. These ions are highly mobile in the solution, allowing them to carry an electric charge and readily conduct electricity. This is because water is a polar solvent and can dissociate ionic compounds like HCl.
On the other hand, hexane and diethyl ether are nonpolar solvents that do not readily dissociate ionic compounds. In these solvents, HCl does not dissociate into ions to the same extent as it does in water. As a result, the electrical conductivity of the compound in hexane is much lower compared to the aqueous solution of HCl.
The difference in electrical conductivity between the compound in diethyl ether solution and the aqueous HCl solution can be attributed to the partial dissociation of HCl in diethyl ether. Diethyl ether has some polarity, albeit lower than water. This allows for a partial dissociation of HCl into ions, leading to a moderate electrical conductivity. However, the electrical conductivity is still lower than that of the aqueous HCl solution due to the decreased mobility of ions in diethyl ether compared to water.
In summary, the high electrical conductivity of the aqueous HCl solution is due to the complete dissociation of HCl into highly mobile ions. The compound in hexane has a low electrical conductivity because hexane is nonpolar and does not facilitate ionic dissociation. The compound in diethyl ether has an intermediate electrical conductivity due to the partial ionic dissociation in the moderately polar solvent.