Final answer:
The statement that distilled water is a poor conductor of electricity is true because it lacks sufficient free ions necessary for conducting electricity. Distilled water is a covalent electrolyte and acts as an insulator, unlike solutions with dissolved ionic compounds.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that distilled water is pure H2O and is a poor conductor of electricity is true. Distilled water is considered a covalent electrolyte and is an extremely poor conductor of electricity because it is only slightly ionized. About two out of every 1 billion water molecules ionize at 25 °C to form hydronium and hydroxide ions, which is not sufficient for conducting electricity. This is in contrast to solutions where ionic compounds, like sodium chloride (NaCl), are dissolved in water. In such solutions, the ionic compounds dissociate into individual cations and anions, which are mobile and can carry an electrical current.
Glass and other substances that do not allow charges to move through them are called insulators. In the case of distilled water, the absence of free ions makes it an insulator. However, when ionic compounds are dissolved or melted into water, they become conductors due to the presence of free, mobile ions.