Question

In the lab, you work with different concentrations of hydrochloric acid. Which of these statements would BEST describe the results you would see if you were using a conductivity apparatus (measure of the amount of electricity that is able to flow) in each of the different acid concentrations?

a) The light bulb would not burn as acids do not conduct electricity.

b) The bulb would burn the same in all concentrations.

c) The light bulb would burn brightest in the most diluted acid.

d) The light bulb would burn brightest in the most concentrated acid.

Answer 1

The light bulb on a conductivity apparatus will burn brightest in the most concentrated hydrochloric acid solution, as it contains more ions which increase conductivity.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct answer to the question is that the light bulb would burn brightest in the most concentrated acid. This is because conductivity in an aqueous solution is a measure of the solution's ability to conduct electricity, which depends on the presence of freely mobile, charged species, or ions.

Hydrochloric acid (HCl) is a strong acid and a strong electrolyte, meaning it completely dissociates into ions in solution. Thus, the more concentrated the HCl solution, the more ions are present in it, and the higher the conductivity. As the concentration of ions increases, the amount of electrical current that can flow through the solution also increases, leading to a brighter light bulb on the conductivity apparatus.