Do Acids and Bases Conducts Electricity in Solutions?

Do acids and bases conduct electricity in solutions, and are there any practical applications when it comes to industry? This article explains all of that in detail.

Introduction:

Both acids and bases are fundamental chemical substances with unique properties that impact how they behave in different solutions. They both can conduct electricity in aqueous solutions. But the good question here is how do acids and bases conducts electricity and do all of them do it? To explain that, we need to go back to the basics of conductivity in solutions.

Ionization is the answer:

They can completely dissociate in ions, which enables them to flow electricity. In other words, both acids and bases easily convert into hydrogen H⁺ and hydroxide ions OH⁻. These two ions are responsible for the conductivity of both acids and bases in different solutions, and their strength of conductivity depends on the amount of ions each base and acid can create.

For example, strong acids like sulfuric acid are known to completely dissociate into their ions and are thus very strong conductors in solution. On the other hand, acetic acid is a weak one due to the lower strength of ionization due to its molecular structure. The same goes for a base like NaOH, which is a strong base and a great conductor, but ammonia NH₃, on the other side, is a weak conductor due to fewer ammonia ions in its solution.

It is also worth mentioning that they both will conduct when they are in a solution where their ions are dissociated. If, in pure form, there aren’t any ions to transfer electrons, the movement of ions is restricted, which also restricts the conductivity. Now you know the answer to the topic “do acids and bases conducts electricity” in solutions. But still, exceptions are there too while some molten states of salts and bases can have low levels of electricity.

The special case of Lewis Acids:

These acids are different from traditional acids like HCl and sulfuric acid which ionize by donating protons H⁺ in water. A Lewis acid on the other hand is defined as a substance that can accept an electron (lone) pair like Al³⁺ and transition metals, as well as molecules like BF₃and AlCl₃are Lewis acids that don’t release H⁺ ions directly upon ionization.

The behavior of these acids can also vary under certain conditions. For example, some acids like AlCl₃ react with water to form Al³⁺ and Cl⁻ ions, allowing the solution to conduct electricity, but it can also indirectly increase its conductivity by reacting more with the water molecules in the following reaction below:

AlCl₃ + 3H₂O Al(OH)₃ + 3H⁺ + 3Cl^-

In some cases, Lewis acids don’t ionize to conduct electricity. Instead, they just go hydrolysis and react with the solvent. For example, silicon tetrachloride or SiCl₄ does not ionize in water as it reacts with water to produce silicon dioxide SiO₂ and hydrogen chloride HCl gas in  a reaction below: 

SiCl₄ + 2H₂O → SiO₂ + 4HCl

In the above reaction, the SiCl₄ itself does not produce ions in solution, and that is why it doesn't conduct any electricity in this case. The same is the case of iron chloride FeCl₃, which can dissociate in water to form its own ions as well in nonpolar or organic solvents. But it does not ionize in these solvents. Instead, it forms molecular complexes and does not conduct any electricity.

It is also worth mentioning that the conductivity of such Lewis acids and bases can be increased by altering environmental factors. For example, adding a supporting electrolyte in their solution can significantly increase overall ionic strength and conductivity. For example., a solution of BF₃, when added with salt like NaCl, can significantly provide ions to the setup and also increase the conductivity even if BF₃ itself actually doesn’t directly produce its ions.

Both acids and bases are extensively used for industrial processes linked with electrical conductivity, and if your business is also linked with such chemicals, then we recommend using the Echemi marketplace for your procurements. With more than 200,000 certified suppliers for almost 200 categories of chemicals, this platform is a one-stop solution for businesses involved in chemical import. Moreover, you also get market insights and direct contact with the suppliers for transparent purchasing.

Conclusion:

Before we conclude our article on the trendy query of “do acids and bases conduct electricity,” it can be stated that they do conduct due to the availability of free ions. In some cases, they won’t conduct and will prefer to go for hydrolysis with other chemicals.