Question

Pure water is:

Select all that apply:
- a poor conductor of electricity
- a good conductor of electricity
- very ionized
- slightly ionized

Answer 1

Pure water is a poor conductor of electricity because it is only slightly ionized with very few free ions to support electrical conductivity.

Step-by-step explanation:

Pure water is known to be a poor conductor of electricity because it is only slightly ionized. In fact, merely about two out of every 1 billion water molecules ionize at 25 °C. Ionization in water occurs when a water molecule donates a proton (H+ ion) to another water molecule, forming hydronium (H3O+) and hydroxide (OH−) ions. However, this process is not very common in pure water, which means very few free ions are present to support electrical conductivity. Conversely, solutions with dissolved ions, such as those containing ionic compounds, can conduct electricity well because these ions are freely mobile and can carry charge.