Which of the following is a weak electrolyte in aqueous solution?
a. H2SO3
b. HNO3
c. HBr
d. HClO4
e. NaOH
H2SO3 it is because it, alone from this group, has a Ka (actually a k1 and a k2).
To determine which of the given compounds is a weak electrolyte in aqueous solution, we need to assess the behavior of each compound when it dissolves in water.
First, let's understand what a weak electrolyte is. A weak electrolyte partially ionizes in solution, meaning it only releases a small number of ions when it dissolves. On the other hand, a strong electrolyte fully dissociates into ions.
Let's analyze the given compounds:
a. H2SO3: H2SO3 is a weak electrolyte. It is a molecular compound and does not fully dissociate into ions when dissolved in water.
b. HNO3: HNO3 is a strong electrolyte. It dissociates completely into H+ and NO3- ions when dissolved in water.
c. HBr: HBr is a strong electrolyte. It fully ionizes into H+ and Br- ions when dissolved in water.
d. HClO4: HClO4 is a strong electrolyte. It fully dissociates into H+ and ClO4- ions when dissolved in water.
e. NaOH: NaOH is a strong electrolyte. It completely dissociates into Na+ and OH- ions when dissolved in water.
Based on our analysis, the only weak electrolyte in the given choices is H2SO3 (Option a).