Why do ionic compounds conduct electricity in aqueous solutions, but do not conduct when in the solid state?
470485
Because compounds which form ionic solutions are not charged when they are in solid form.  Na is + and Cl is -, and together they are neutral NaCl, without any free electrons to conduct electricity.  In water, they dissociate into Na+ and Cl-, leaving free electrons and electron "holes" to conduct electrical current.
810698
1. VERY PURE water is a poor conductor of electricity. However, very small \namounts of impurities, especially salts, greatly increase the electrical\nconductivity of water.\n2. The main carriers of electrical current are dissolved ions. If a \nbattery is connected to a container of water so that\nthe (+) and (-) poles of the battery are immersed in the water, the\npositive ions will migrate toward the (-) pole and the negative ions will\nmigrate toward the (+) pole (electrical opposites attract). This closes the\n"switch" and electric current flows through the solution.\n3. Different ions can help carry the electric current, some more / some \nless, depending upon their electrical charge and their size. More highly charged, \nsmaller ions are more efficient carriers of the electrical current.\n4. The higher the concentration of ions, the greater is the conductance of \nthe solution.\n5. There is a complication however, the water and / or certain of the ions \nmay undergo a chemical reaction to one or the other, or both of the electrodes.\nYou may not want to introduce this in the beginning but it does happen.\n6. None of the ion electrical current carriers of salts dissolved in water \nare as mobile as "free" electrons in a metal are. And the differences are very\nlarge. For example, if the conductivity of  VERY PURE WATER is 0.000004\nconductivity units, the conductivity of a saturated solution of common\ntable salt NaCl is 23 conductivity units, and the conductivity of a typical\nmetal such as copper wire is 60, 000, 000 conductivity units. So while the\nions in a dissolved salt behave something like "free" electrons, they are\nvery slow and sluggish moving. \nCompletely demineralized water actually does not conduct electricity, and is\nwidely used as a coolant in high powered radio amplifiers.  However, when\nexposed to even small amounts of impurities, (even normal air), It becomes a\nfair conductor.  It is not the water conducting this electricity so much as\nthe dissolved minerals in it.  Some of these minerals are decent insulators\nthemselves, but when dissolved in water still allow conduction because the\nmolecules are now free to move around.\nIn ionic liquids these electrons remain \nstuck to big, round atoms,\nand these atoms do the swimming around, relatively slowly, dragged by \ntheir electric charge.\nSort of a ball and chain thing.\nElectrons in metal are "free"; they slip rather freely across all the \natoms, and do not need to drag one around with them.\nSo, carrier mobilities in ionic liquids are some orders of magnitude lower \nthan carrier mobilities in metals.\nSo their resistance is higher.\nIf you had a snail-trail of salt-water or molten salt with the same length \nand cross-section as a metal wire,\nit would use up half the voltage and get hot trying to pass one tenth the \ncurrent the wire can handle.\nIn a metal, each metal atom contributes about one mobile electron that \nhelps the current flow.\nIn molten salts like NaCl, every atom has a + or - charge and contributes \nto the current flow.\nSo there are just as many carriers per unit volume as in a metal.\nBut in water-solutions of salts, the salt is a minority.\nUsually less than 10%  of the solution is ions, so that makes the \nconductivity even poorer.\nThat is part of why we will never make our power lines out of seawater in \npipes.
1057120
If I remember right, the crystalline structure of the salt breaks down, and the Na and Cl ions move freely in the water, dissolving into the water.\nSince the salt breaks down into free ions, that explains why salt water is such a good electrical conductor.
805803
Like dissolves like...where you're looking at polarity.  Covalently bonded solutes usually dissovle in covalently bonded solvents, but not in very polar things like water.  Salts, which are ionically bonded, require very polar solvents (like water or liquid ammonia).  Polar functional groups on solute molecules mean you need similar polar groups on your solvent molecules.  Non-polar solutes like non-polar solvents.
798090
It's because salt is an electrolyte, a substance containing ions (charged atoms or molecules). The charges are what allow the atoms to conduct electricity, I think.
62986
Molecular compounds do not dissolve in aqueous solution. Ionic compounds do. Sugar does not dissolve readily into water because it is an organic substance. Organic substances do not dissolve easily.
46964
It determines the number of ligands the ion can be surrounded with, both in the crystal and in solution. (Electronic configuration dictates the likely geometry.)\n\nThere is no direct correlation. Stability of the salt depends among other factors from the ionic character of the salt - some of the badly soluble sulfides have bonds with covalent character.\n\nThe energy gain from dissolving the salt (allowing free movement of formerly ordered crystals) has to be greater than the energy required to leave the crystal. Usually the ionic ligands in the salt crystal are replaced by water molecules.
166891
not electrically conductive. carbon is the only non metal conducting element. and as for that idiot who says yes because they use it in batterys...sulphuric acid...is an ACID... ie donates H+ ions and thus leaves a - charged end behind and ions in solution will allow a current to flow
715766
It is not a reaction because the bond formed is ionic, not covalent.  Extraction is a better term for the process you are describing.
811655
If by 'undissolved' you mean why are some salts insoluble in water, then I think we are in business.\n\nIn order for a salt to be soluble it has to be energetically favorable for the ions to separate. This requires a negative gibbs free energy. G = H - TS So you have to find the H and S values for the solid to aqueous solution and see if G will be negative for a given temperature.\n\nA method I recently learned to make insolube salts more soluble is to add other ions to the water...but you have to be careful to not add a common ion...or Le Chantliear will come into play.
98382
You will not find ions along by themselves, they are paired with other ions, forming ionic compounds.\nSome ionic compounds are soluble, some are.  The ones that are can range in solubility based on the solvent, temperature, and other ions in solution.\n\nFor instance, NaCl is very soluble in water at room temperature, where as under the same conditions, Silver Chloride is considered insoluble.\n\nTherre are actually a set of solubility rules to determine whether an ionic compound is or is not soluble in water based on the ions that make it up.\nhttp://www.csudh.edu/oliver/chemdata/solrules.htm
482712
um...  subtract???  hahaha\n\nThe higher the differences in electronegativity, the more ionic the compound.  The higher electronegative atom/ion will want to "hog" all the electrons.  They are greedy like that.  They don't want to share (which would be a covalent bond).
663838
I agree with Thinkstoomuch's Answers in most part.  \n\nSolid Cu, C will not be soluble in water.  However glucose and  CuBr2 will be soluble in water.  At STP solubility of glucose (C6H12O6) is about 90g/ml.  That eliminates choice 1 and 3.\n\nWhen a compound ionizes in soln it makes electrolyte.  Glucose will not ionize but CuBr2 will ionize to Cu++ and 2Br-, choice 4 can be eliminated.\n\nThe third clue is just there to confirm your answer and CuBr2 being an ionic compound will indeed have a relatively high melting point.  498°C to be exact.  \n\nClearly, Cupric Bromide should be your Answer.\n\nI hope this helps.
1075073
well it depends, but generally they don't stay that way for long. They react with other atoms that are charged opposite of whatever they are. This is how chemical bonds are formed. It can either be a covalent bond in which they atoms are "sharing" electrons in order for both to be neutrally charged or they form an Ionic bond.
751102
organic compounds have covalent bonds in them thay have carbon attached to the other elements by sharing an electron or two depending upon the nature of bond so they dont have free electrons for  conduction of electricity\nfor conduction to take place in organic compounds they will hasve to overcome these bonding forces and require high energy
792713
In covalent, atoms share electrons, but in ionic, one atom gives them to the other.  So in an ionic compound, there is a positive ion and a negative ion.  They ions can separate when put in water, and then the electricity can pass through.  Covalent compounds don't have a positive pole and a negative pole, and they don't ionize in water.  Also, the ionic bond is kinda stronger, so usually the compound is solid at room temperature (salt is ionic, oil is covalent).  You have to know that there is a third category, a polar molecule (like water).
804947
In many ways, water is a miracle liquid. It is essential for all living things (on this planet at least), and it is often referred to as a universal solvent because many substances dissolve in it. These unique properties of water result from the ways in which individual H2O molecules interact with each other.\n\n The partial charge that develops across the water molecule helps make it an excellent solvent. Water dissolves many substances by surrounding charged particles and "pulling" them into solution. For example, common table salt, sodium chloride, is an ionic substance that contains alternating sodium and chlorine ions.\n\nWhen table salt is added to water, the partial charges on the water molecule are attracted to the Na+ and Cl- ions.  The water molecules work their way into the crystal structure and between the individual ions, surrounding them and slowly dissolving the salt.  The water molecules will actually line up differently depending on which ions are being pulled into solution.  The negative oxygen ends of water molecules will surround the positive sodium ions; the positive hydrogen ends will surround the negative chlorine ions.  \n\nIn a similar fashion, any substance that carries a net electrical charge, including both ionic compounds and polar covalent molecules (those that have a dipole), can dissolve in water. This idea also explains why some substances do not dissolve in water. Oil, for example, is a nonpolar molecule. Because there is no net electrical charge across an oil molecule, it is not attracted to water molecules and therefore does not dissolve in water.