What kind of substances are electrolytes

Skill: Distinguish strong and weak electrolytes. Skills to Develop Identify what electrolytes are. Distinguish between strong and weak electrolytes. Explain what happens when electrolytes dissolve in water. Give the equilibrium constant expression for ionizaton. Explain ion product of water, autoionization of water, and pH.

Calculate ionization percentage of weak electrolytes. Explain metathesis reactions. Electrolytes Substances that give ions when dissolved in water are called electrolytes. Pure water is a very weak electrolyte. Electrolytes in Body Fluids Our body fluids are solutions of electrolytes and many other things.

Electrolytes and Batteries Solutions of electrolytes are always required in batteries, even in dry cells. Chemical Reactions of Electrolytes When solutions of electrolytes are combined, the cations and anions will meet each other. These are called metathesis reactons, which include: Solid formation or precipitation reactions: the cations and anions form a less soluble solid, resulting in the appearance of a precipitate.

Gas formation reactions: When neutral gaseous molecules are formed in a reaction, they leave the solution forming a gas. Do the positive ions move in the salt bridge? Hint: yes The two types of ions move in opposite directions.

Which of the following will you use as the salt bridge? A solution of which one of the following will best conduct electricity? All solutions have the same concentration in M. Which one of the following solutions has the highest pH?

Skill: Define and estimate pH. When solutions of electrolytes are combined, the cations and anions exchange partners. These reactions are called: combustion reactions redox reactions oxidation reactions reduction reactions metathesis reactions See Redox. The electrostatic attraction between an ion and a molecule with a dipole is called an ion-dipole attraction. These attractions play an important role in the dissolution of ionic compounds in water.

When ionic compounds dissolve in water, the ions in the solid separate and disperse uniformly throughout the solution because water molecules surround and solvate the ions, reducing the strong electrostatic forces between them. This process represents a physical change known as dissociation. Under most conditions, ionic compounds will dissociate nearly completely when dissolved, and so they are classified as strong electrolytes.

Let us consider what happens at the microscopic level when we add solid KCl to water. Ion-dipole forces attract the positive hydrogen end of the polar water molecules to the negative chloride ions at the surface of the solid, and they attract the negative oxygen ends to the positive potassium ions.

The reduction of the electrostatic attraction permits the independent motion of each hydrated ion in a dilute solution, resulting in an increase in the disorder of the system as the ions change from their fixed and ordered positions in the crystal to mobile and much more disordered states in solution.

This increased disorder is responsible for the dissolution of many ionic compounds, including KCl, which dissolve with absorption of heat. In other cases, the electrostatic attractions between the ions in a crystal are so large, or the ion-dipole attractive forces between the ions and water molecules are so weak, that the increase in disorder cannot compensate for the energy required to separate the ions, and the crystal is insoluble.

Such is the case for compounds such as calcium carbonate limestone , calcium phosphate the inorganic component of bone , and iron oxide rust. Water ionizes when one molecule of water gives up a proton to another molecule of water, yielding hydronium and hydroxide ions.

In some cases, we find that solutions prepared from covalent compounds conduct electricity because the solute molecules react chemically with the solvent to produce ions. For example, pure hydrogen chloride is a gas consisting of covalent HCl molecules. This gas contains no ions. However, when we dissolve hydrogen chloride in water, we find that the solution is a very good conductor.

In these types of situations, the balance of electrolytes in the body needs to be restored. The kidneys and several hormones regulate the concentration of each electrolyte. If the level of one is too high, the kidneys filter it from the body, and different hormones act to restore a balance. An imbalance causes a health issue when the concentration of a certain electrolyte becomes higher than the body can regulate.

Low levels of electrolytes can also affect overall health. The most common imbalances involve sodium and potassium. The symptoms depend on which electrolyte is out of balance and whether its level is too high or too low. A harmful concentration of magnesium, sodium, potassium, or calcium can produce one or more of the following symptoms:.

For example, a calcium excess can occur in people with breast cancer , lung cancer , or multiple myeloma. This type of excess is often caused by the destruction of bone tissue. As these symptoms can also result from cancer or cancer treatment, it may be difficult to identify high calcium levels as the cause. An electrolyte panel is a test that screens for imbalances in the blood.

It also measures the acid-base balance and kidney function. This test can help monitor the progress of treatment relating to a known imbalance. A doctor may include it as part of a routine physical exam, and people often undergo it during a hospital stay or when receiving care in an emergency room, as both acute and chronic illnesses can affect electrolyte levels.

A healthcare professional may also perform this test for someone taking medication known to affect electrolyte concentrations, such as diuretics or angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors. The levels of electrolytes in the blood are measured in millimoles per liter l.

If the level of one type of electrolyte is too high or low, the doctor will test regularly until the levels are back to normal. If there is an acid-base imbalance, the doctor may carry out blood gas tests.

These measure the acidity, oxygen, and carbon dioxide levels in a sample of blood from an artery. They also determine the severity of the imbalance and how the person is responding to treatment. Treating an electrolyte imbalance involves either restoring levels that are too low or reducing concentrations that are too high. If levels are too high, the treatment depends on the cause of the excess. If the body loses water without losing electrolytes, this can lead to an excess, and the treatment involves an infusion of water and glucose.

Healthcare professionals typically treat low levels by supplementing the needed electrolyte. The type of treatment will also depend on the severity of the imbalance. However, the symptoms of an imbalance can be severe, and a person may need to be hospitalized and monitored during the treatment. Doctors mainly use this to treat an electrolyte shortage alongside dehydration, which tends to follow severe diarrhea.

In more severe cases of an electrolyte shortage, healthcare professionals may administer the electrolyte orally or through an IV drip.

An infusion of saltwater solution or compound sodium lactate, for example, can help treat a shortage of sodium. Some causes of an electrolyte shortage, such as kidney disease, are not preventable.

In general, having a well-managed diet can help reduce the risk of low electrolyte levels.