Conduction of Electricity Through Liquids and Gases

Question 1

What is the difference between electrolytes and non-electrolytes?

Answer 1

Electrolytes: Substances that conduct electricity when dissolved in water or molten because they dissociate into ions (e.g., sodium chloride, sulfuric acid).
Non-electrolytes: Substances that do not conduct electricity in solution or molten state because they do not dissociate into ions (e.g., sugar, ethanol).

Question 2

What is the concept of electrolysis?

Answer 2

Electrolysis is the process of using an electric current to drive a non-spontaneous chemical reaction. It involves the decomposition of an electrolyte into its constituent elements by passing an electric current through it.

Question 3

What are Faraday’s laws of electrolysis?

Answer 3

Faraday’s laws of electrolysis are:

First Law: The amount of chemical change produced at an electrode during electrolysis is directly proportional to the quantity of electricity passed through the electrolyte.
Formula: 𝑚 = (𝑄 / 𝐹) × M
where 𝑚 is the mass of the substance,
𝑄 is the total electric charge,
𝐹 is Faraday’s constant (approximately 96500 C/mol), and M is the molar mass of the substance.

Second Law: The amount of a substance deposited or liberated at an electrode is directly proportional to the equivalent weight of the substance and the quantity of electricity passed.
Formula: 𝑚 = (𝑄 × 𝐸) / 𝐹
where
𝑚 is the mass of the substance,
𝐸 is the equivalent weight of the substance, and
𝐹 is Faraday’s constant.

Question 4

What are some applications of electrolysis?

Answer 4

Applications of electrolysis include:

• Electroplating: Coating a metal object with a layer of another metal to prevent corrosion or enhance appearance.
• Calibration of Ammeter: Determining the current through an ammeter by electrolyzing a known solution.

Question 5

What is discharge through gases?

Answer 5

Discharge through gases occurs when an electric current passes through a gas, causing ionization of the gas molecules. This leads to the creation of positive and negative ions and the conduction of electricity. The process is observed in devices such as neon lights and cathode ray tubes.

Question 6

What are some applications of conduction of electricity through gases?

Answer 6

• Neon Signs: Using ionized neon gas to produce bright colored lights.
• Fluorescent Lamps: Conducting electricity through gases to produce light.