CHE150-1L Chemical Engineering Laboratory 1
Fourth Quarter SY 2017-2018
3. Results and Discussion
Conductivity is used to distinguish weak and strong
electrolytes, measure the degree of ionization, and determine
the solubility of salts.
The results produced in the Appendix section at Table A.1
presented that sodium acetate has the lowest value of
conductance and sodium hydroxide has the highest.
Ions such as the cations and anions have the electrical unit
charges by their symbols but they move at different velocities
through the solution so they contribute differently to the
conductivity. The most mobile cation is H+ which signifies
high conductance of the hydrochloric acid and the most
mobile anion is the hydroxyl ion OH- that denotes rapid
dissociation of sodium hydroxide when dissolved in protic
aqueous solutions.
Table 3.1. Order of conductance in the test solutions.
Experimental Solution Theoretical
4 0.1 M NH4Cl 4 performed as the solvent and the KOH was the solute.
2 0.1 M HCl 1 In the Appendix section, Tables A.2 and A.3 showed the
3 0.1 M NaCl 3
5 0.1 M NaC2H3O2 5
1 0.1 M NaOH 2
In theory, hydrochloric acid is expected to have the highest
conductance because it separates almost completely in
solution to form the ions Cl- and H+. Ions are the carrier of
electric charge in solution and therefore give it a high
conductivity. It is considered as a strong electrolyte for being
a high ionizable substance.
Sodium acetate would have a less conductivity than
hydrochloric acid because it ionizes less in the solution. Acetic
acid only partially ionizes into CH3COO- and H+ with lots of
it staying as complete CH3COOH molecules. The acetate ion
is the one responsible for the small fraction of the formula
unit dissociation to form ions since most of the sodium
acetate molecules continue to be complete and the ions at
which it dissociates do not willingly diffuse. This is the reason
behind its poor conductivity of electricity.
For solutions containing sodium ions, the conductance is
expected to be in the order of NaC2H3O2 < NaCl < NaOH. This
because NaOH is much smaller than NaC2H3O2 and more
polar compared to NaCl hence, making it more mobile and
Experiment No. 1│ Pranada, Eugenie Marie A.
soluble in the solvent used which increases the concentration
of Na+ and OH- ions—increasing its conductance.
The succeeding part is the determination of dissociation
constant of a weak electrolyte. The samples used were
potassium hydroxide and ammonium hydroxide. The
concentration of the ions in the ammonia solution was
obtained from that of the potassium hydroxide provided that
they exhibited the same conductance. Potassium hydroxide
was consumed because it is a strong electrolyte whose ions
have the same mobility as those in aqueous ammonia.
The electrical conductivity of aqueous solutions is controlled
by the presence and concentration of ions in solution. [1] It
means that the pure water itself is a very poor electrical
conductor since the concentrations of hydrogen and
hydroxide are tiny. Though, a supplement of ionic species to
water enlarged the ability to conduct noticeably. Water
connection or the relationship that exists between the
dissociation constant and the stoichiometric concentration of
the solutions.
1500
(MILLISIEMENS)
CONDUCTANCE
1000
500
0
0.01 0.008 0.006 0.004 0.002 0.0004
CONCENTRATION OF IONS (M)
FIGURE 2. Plot of the conductance of KOH solution against
its concentration.
In many such solvents, the same general relation obtained as
is found in the case of aqueous solutions, the molecular
conductivity increases regularly with increasing dilution,
However, a large number of instances have been found in
which the behavior is apparently the opposite—the molecular
conductivity increases with increasing concentration. [2] This
is only true for strong electrolytes like KOH since it
dissociates entirely into its constituent ions. The addition of
the water by lowering the amount of KOH makes the
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 CHE150-1L Chemical Engineering Laboratory 1
Fourth Quarter SY 2017-2018

conductance lower since hydration occurred as the ion Dissociation

surrounds itself by water molecules. Sample Conductance % Error
Constant
For weak electrolytes which are only partially dissociated into 0.1 M NH4OH 129.9 mS 6.4 x 10-6 64.44 %
ions at moderate concentrations there is a noticeable increase 0.01 M NH4OH 93.5 mS 2.5 x 10-5 38.89 %
in the fraction of ions present as the concentration decreases.
This shows the dramatic increase in the molar conductivity The table above shows the deviation of the experimental
as the concentration decreases. [3] As known, NH4OH does not values for the dissociation constant when compared to the
dissociate completely in the solvent, the concentration of ions literature value of 𝑘𝑏 = 1.8 𝑥 10−5 .
in the solution increases as it is further diluted.
The accuracy in conductivity measurement depends on four
1500 parameters: measuring device, electrode, standard solutions,
CONDUCTANCE (MILLISIEMENS)

and good laboratory measurement. The standard solutions

that are used for the calibration are the largest cause of error
1000 y = 138197x +25.354
which cannot be eliminated. To minimize errors, rinse the
electrode twice between measurements and calibrations: first
500 thoroughly in distilled water and then with a small disposable
amount of the next sample to be measured.

0
0.0004 0.002 0.004 0.006 0.008 0.01
CONCENTRATION OF IONS (M)
4. Conclusion
FIGURE 3. Plot of the conductance of KOH solution against
Tdhtgvxyufgkhn ufgjk
its concentration.

References
The graph shows how the values acquired diverges from the
theoretical value of the dissociation constant of an aqueous
[1] Zenski, C. Handbook of Electrochemistry. Elsevier B.V.
ammonia. It is apparent that the graph is not that linear but
it is approaching to linearity. It has an equation of a line
[2] J. N. Pearce (1914). "The Electrical Conductivity of
which is y = 138197x+ 25.354. This graph is operated to attain
Solutions of Certain Electrolytes in Organic Solvents". The
the concentration of the KOH at which the ammonia solution
Journal of Physical Chemistry 19 (49). American Chemical
and KOH have the same conductance.
Society. doi:10.1021/j150154a002
Table 3.2 Dissociation Constant of a Weak Electrolyte.
[3] Wright, M. R. (2007). An Introduction to Aqueous
Electrolyte Solutions. John Wiley & Sons.

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