Electrolytic Behavior and Metathesis Reactions

LP 1 - Electrolytic Behavior

Objectives:
- Distinguish between dissolving and dissociating.
- Define electrolyte and distinguish between strong, weak, and nonelectrolytes.
- Identify which species would be found in an aqueous solution of that substance.

Dissolving: A solvent (e.g., water) moves in-between and around solute particles (e.g., an ionic compound).
- For molecular compounds, molecules start close together and are moved farther apart, but remain intact as molecules.
Dissociating: An ionic compound is broken apart into individual ions by water molecules.
- For most ionic compounds, the cumulative attractions between polar water molecules and the ions are stronger than the attractions between the cations and anions, resulting in individual ions being completely surrounded by water molecules.

Solubility: The degree to which a compound dissolves.
Electrolytic Behavior: The degree to which a compound dissociates, resulting in various degrees of electrical conductivity.
Note: Solubility is independent of electrolytic behavior.
- Table sugar (C{10}H{22}O_{11}) is highly soluble but unable to dissociate.
- Vinegar (CH_3COOH) is highly soluble but only a few of the molecules will dissociate.
- Table salt (NaCl) is highly soluble and dissociates completely.
- Calcium carbonate (CaCO_3) is largely insoluble, but the part that does dissolve dissociates completely.

Ions that dissociate in aqueous solution are also known as electrolytes.
Electrolytes are free-flowing ions and can therefore conduct electricity.
- Strong Electrolytes: Dissolved compounds that dissociate completely.
- Weak Electrolytes: Dissolved compounds that only partially dissociate.
- Nonelectrolytes: Dissolved compounds that do not dissociate at all.

The flowchart outlines the steps to determine whether a substance is a strong, weak, or non-electrolyte:

If the answers to the above questions lead to "strong", "weak", or "non", it indicates the electrolytic behavior of the substance.

Assuming all substances are aqueous, determine their electrolytic behavior and the particles found in solution:

Given the following ionic compounds, determine whether they will be soluble or insoluble in aqueous solution:

Objectives:
- Predict the products of and write balanced reactions for both precipitation and neutralization metathesis reactions.