Question

Is $NaCl$ an electrolyte?

Answer 1

An electrolyte can be defined as a substance which produces an electrically conducting solution when it dissolves in a polar solvent like water and when the electrolyte dissolves it separates into different ions known as cations and anions.

Complete step-by-step answer: Generally electrolytic solutions are neutral in nature i.e. number of cation and number of anion are equal in the solution which balances the charge. If an electric potential is applied to such a solution then the cations of the solution are drawn towards the electrode which is electron rich in nature while the anions are drawn towards that electrode that is electron deficient in nature. The movement of anions and cations in opposite directions within the solution produces current in the solution.
Most of the electrolyte includes most soluble salts, acids and bases. $NaCl$ is known by the name sodium chloride which is termed as strong electrolyte as it can be easily dissociated into cation and anion i.e. positively and negatively charged particles respectively while dissolving in water. Strong electrolytes are those electrolytes which are completely ionized whereas weak electrolytes are those which are partially ionize while dissolving in a polar solvent. The strength of electrolyte varies with the concentration of the electrolyte.
Hence we can say that $NaCl$ is an electrolyte.

Note: Electrolyte solutions can also be obtained as a result of dissolution of some biological substances like DNA and synthetic polymers for example polystyrene and this process is known by the name polyelectrolytes which generally contain charged functional groups.