Question

How do you identify electrolytes?

Answer 1

: Electrochemistry It is the study of production of electricity from energy which is released during spontaneous chemical reactions and the use of electrical energy to bring about non-spontaneous chemical transformations.A chemical reaction in which electrons are lost by one substance and gained by another is called redox reaction. In this, transfer of electrons is the reason for electric current. There are two types of cells: Electrochemical cells and electrolytic cells.

Complete step-by-step answer: An electrochemical cell is a device in which chemical energy of redox reaction is converted into electrical energy. It consists of two metallic electrodes dipping in electrolytic solutions. The solution in two compartment is connected through an inverted U shaped tube containing a mixture of agar-agar jelly and an electrolyte like KCN or $N{{H}_{4}}N{{O}_{3}}$(inert electrolyte), etc. This tube is called a salt bridge. The significance of salt bridge includes:
(i) It connects the solution of two half-cells, thus completes the cell circuit.
(ii) It prevents transference or diffusion of the solutions from one half-cell to another etc.
In a galvanic cell, oxidation occurs at anode and it is a negative plate. While reduction occurs at cathode and it is a positive plate.
Potential difference between the metal and the metal ion in which electrode is dipped, is called electrode potential (E) in a given state. When the concentration of all the species involved in half-cell is unity then electrode potential is known as standard electrode potential (${{E}^{0}}$). Electrode potential is dependent on temperature and concentration of the ion involved. For standard hydrogen eleçtrode, ${{E}_{SHE}}$= 0.00 V. SHE and = calomel electrodes are used as reference half-cells. In electrochemical cells, the electrodes in different half-cells have different reduction potential. As a result of this, different flow of electrons is seen from the electrode with higher tendency to lose electrons to other electrodes. This difference in electrode potential of electrodes is called electromotive force or cell potential of a cell.
Electrolytes are salts or molecules that undergo complete ionisation in solution. As a result, electrolyte solutions are good conductors of electricity. Nonelectrolytes do not dissociate into ions in solution; and also are bad conductors of electricity.So like this we can identify electrolytes .

Note: The arrangement of metals in decreasing order of tendency to lose electrons is called electrochemical series.
The applications of electrochemical series include:
1.In comparing the reactivity of metals.
2.In comparing the oxidising and reducing behaviour of elements.
3.In calculation of emf of the cell.
4.In predicting the feasibility of a reaction.
5.In predicting the thermal stability of metallic oxides.
6.In predicting the product of electrolysis
7.In protecting the metal from corrosion.