Question

Which of the following will conduct electricity?
This question has multiple correct options.
(A) Ammonium acetate
(B) Ammonium hydroxide
(C) Sodium hydroxide
(D) Formic acid

Answer 1

Hint: In order to answer this question, you should know that conduction of electricity takes place due to complete dissociation. Generally salts (dissolved in water) and strong bases conduct electricity. Now try to figure out by yourself.

Complete step by step answer:
Generally, all the solutions that have ionic bonding in their molecules can conduct electricity.
As we know sodium acetate is a salt and salts as we know salts conduct electricity due to complete dissociation of ions.
A conducting testing light bulb apparatus is immersed in solid ammonium acetate. It does not light up. But when the ammonium acetate is melted, the ions are free to move and the apparatus lights up. However, in the solid state these ions are tightly bound in the crystal lattice and are not mobile. But we can see that when an ionic solid is melted the ions are free to move and the substance will conduct electricity.
On the other hand, sodium hydroxide is a strong base and conducts electricity. Let us see the conductivity of sodium hydroxide.
As we have already seen that the aqueous solution is conductive because the ions are rapidly formed. Both the ${ Na }^{ + }$ and ${ OH }^{ - }$ ions are quite happy in a solution. In order to conduct electricity, a substance has to be able to allow an electrical charge to move through it. In water, NaOH dissociates into sodium ions and hydroxide ions. These ions allow electric current to move through the solution.

Ammonium hydroxide being a weak base does not conduct electricity whereas formic acid being a weak acid which also does not conduct electricity.

Therefore, option A and C are the required answers.

Note: You should know that weak acids or bases only ionize partially when dissolved in water, due to which the concentrations of ions in a weak acid solution is low.