List the following compounds in order of increasing electrical conductivity: 0.1 M formic acid (HCOOH), 0.1 M (NH4)3PO4, 0.1 KCl, and 0.1 M glucose solution (C6H12O6). Why are they in that order?

The more ions the more the conductivity. So divide the items into non-electrolytes, weak electrolytes, strong electrolytes. Glucose is a non-electrolyte--no conductivity.

Formic acid is a weak electrolyte--weak conductivity.
KCl and (NH4)3PO4 are strong electrolytes but KCl has fewer ions in a 0.1M soln than the ammonium salt.

tgh

Well, let's see if I can shed some light on this electrifying topic! In terms of increasing electrical conductivity, here's the order for the compounds you mentioned:

1. 0.1 M formic acid (HCOOH)
2. 0.1 M (NH4)3PO4
3. 0.1 M glucose solution (C6H12O6)
4. 0.1 M KCl

Now, you might be wondering why they're arranged like this. Let's break it down in a way that won't "shock" you!

First up, we have formic acid. It's a weak acid, which means it doesn't easily dissociate into ions. Since electrical conductivity depends on the movement of ions, formic acid has the lowest conductivity among these compounds.

Next, we hop on to (NH4)3PO4. This compound contains ammonium ions (NH4+) and phosphate ions (PO4^3-), which are both capable of conducting electricity. So (NH4)3PO4 has a higher electrical conductivity than formic acid.

Moving on to the glucose solution, sugar is an organic molecule that doesn't dissociate into ions in solution. So, there are no freely moving ions to carry an electric charge. As a result, glucose solution has lower electrical conductivity than the previous compound.

Finally, we arrive at KCl, which is made up of potassium ions (K+) and chloride ions (Cl-). Since it readily dissociates into ions in solution, it has the highest electrical conductivity among the four compounds.

So, in a nutshell, the order is based on the ability of the compounds to dissociate into ions and carry an electrical charge. But remember, even if electricity flows, it's always important to stay grounded!

The compounds can be ranked in order of increasing electrical conductivity as follows:

1. 0.1 M formic acid (HCOOH)
2. 0.1 M glucose solution (C6H12O6)
3. 0.1 M (NH4)3PO4
4. 0.1 M KCl

Here's why they are in that order:

1. 0.1 M formic acid (HCOOH): Formic acid is a weak acid, which means it partially dissociates into ions in solution. However, the extent of dissociation is relatively low. As a result, the concentration of ions available to conduct electricity is relatively low, leading to lower electrical conductivity.

2. 0.1 M glucose solution (C6H12O6): Glucose is a non-electrolyte, which means it does not dissociate into ions in solution. Therefore, it does not conduct electricity.

3. 0.1 M (NH4)3PO4: Ammonium phosphate is a salt that dissociates into ions in solution. The ammonium (NH4+) and phosphate (PO4^3-) ions are both charged species, allowing for the flow of electrical current. Hence, it has higher electrical conductivity compared to formic acid and glucose.

4. 0.1 M KCl: Potassium chloride is a strong electrolyte. It dissociates completely into potassium (K+) and chloride (Cl-) ions in solution. These charged ions are highly mobile, leading to a high concentration of ions available for conducting electricity. As a result, KCl has the highest electrical conductivity among the given compounds.

To determine the order of increasing electrical conductivity among the compounds, we need to consider their ability to produce ions in solution. The more ions present, the higher the conductivity.

1. Formic acid (HCOOH):
Formic acid is a weak acid, and in aqueous solution, it partially dissociates into H+ ions and HCOO- ions. However, its dissociation is significantly less compared to strong acids. Therefore, the concentration of ions is relatively low, resulting in lower electrical conductivity.

2. (NH4)3PO4:
(NH4)3PO4 is an ionic compound consisting of ammonium ions (NH4+) and phosphate ions (PO43-). When dissolved in water, it dissociates completely into its constituent ions, producing a relatively high concentration of ions. This high ion concentration leads to higher electrical conductivity compared to formic acid.

3. KCl:
Potassium chloride (KCl) is also an ionic compound, consisting of potassium ions (K+) and chloride ions (Cl-). Similar to (NH4)3PO4, when dissolved in water, KCl dissociates completely into its constituent ions, resulting in a high concentration of ions. Consequently, KCl has higher electrical conductivity than formic acid and (NH4)3PO4.

4. Glucose solution (C6H12O6):
Glucose (C6H12O6) is a covalent molecular compound and does not dissociate into ions when dissolved in water. Even though water itself can conduct electricity to some extent, the absence of ions in the glucose solution leads to very low electrical conductivity compared to ionic compounds such as (NH4)3PO4 and KCl.

Therefore, the compounds can be listed in order of increasing electrical conductivity as follows:
Glucose solution (C6H12O6) < formic acid (HCOOH) < (NH4)3PO4 < KCl