Which of the following is a weak electrolyte in aqueous solution?

a. acetic acid

b. lithium acetate

c. ammonium carbonate

d. sulfuric acid

e. calcium hydroxide

answer is a as acetic acid ionizes only slightly in an aqueous solution

Phoebe is correct; however, be careful when you see H2SO4. It has a k1 but not a k2 which means that the first ionization is not complete.

To determine which of the following is a weak electrolyte in aqueous solution, we need to understand what weak electrolytes are.

A weak electrolyte is a substance that partially ionizes or dissociates into ions when dissolved in water. This means that only a fraction of the substance forms ions, while the majority remains in the form of molecules. Weak electrolytes conduct electricity poorly compared to strong electrolytes, which completely ionize in solution.

Let's examine each option to identify the weak electrolyte:

a. Acetic acid: Acetic acid is a weak electrolyte. When dissolved in water, only a small portion of acetic acid molecules dissociate into ions (acetic acid is a weak acid).

b. Lithium acetate: Lithium acetate is a strong electrolyte. It fully ionizes into lithium ions and acetate ions when dissolved in water.

c. Ammonium carbonate: Ammonium carbonate is a strong electrolyte. It completely ionizes into ammonium ions and carbonate ions in aqueous solution.

d. Sulfuric acid: Sulfuric acid is a strong electrolyte. It fully dissociates into hydrogen ions and sulfate ions when dissolved in water.

e. Calcium hydroxide: Calcium hydroxide is a strong electrolyte. It fully ionizes into calcium ions and hydroxide ions in aqueous solution.

From the options given, the weak electrolyte in aqueous solution is acetic acid (option a).