Question

It is said acids conduct electricity in their aqueous solution due to the presence of ions. Do bases also conduct electricity due to the presence of hydroxyl ions?

Answer 1

Hint: The reason why an acid conducts electricity in aqueous solution is because an acid undergoes dissociation which results in the formation of \[{H^{ + + }}\] ions. Try to apply this disassociation concept as well when present in aqueous solution.

Complete answer:
To answer this question first we need to understand why and how an acid conducts electricity in an aqueous medium.
When an acid dissolves in water, they dissociate to form \[{H^ + }\] ions. When electricity is passed through an aqueous solution of acid, the \[{H^ + }\] ions reach the cathode. These \[{H^ + }\] on reaching the cathode pick up one electron from the cathode to form \[{H_2}\] gas. Let’s try to represent this reaction with an example of \[H\;Cl\]. When the aqueous solution of \[H\;Cl\] will undergo dissociation, the reaction will be-
\[H\;Cl \to {H^ + } + C{l^ - }\]
As we can see it is dissociated in the respective ions, due to free movement of these ions an aqueous solution of acid conducts electricity.
One must remember that it is the free movement of ions responsible for electricity conduction regardless of the fact whether they are acid or base.
Now coming on to the question, do bases also conduct electricity?
Base when dissolved in water produces \[O{H^ - }\] ion.
Again we will understand this by taking an example of a base say \[Na\;OH\] reacting with water. It dissociates into following ions-
\[Na\;OH \to N{a^ + } + O{H^ - }\]
The \[O{H^ - }\] ions also contain a free electron that carries the electric charge and thereby conducts electricity.

Note:
When an acid is in pure form and in liquid state they are exceedingly poor conductors of electricity. It's only when they dissociate in aqueous solution into ions they conduct electricity. The same can be said about bases.