Which compound is an electrolyte?
(1) CH3CHO
(2) CH3OCH3
(3) CH3COOH
(4) CH3CH2CH3
Answer: Choice 3 CH3COOH is the correct answer choice
Explanation:
Electrolytes are compounds that can conduct electricity.
Electrolytes are:
Ionic compounds melted or dissolved in water (ionic means metal +nonmetal, metal +polyatomic ion, or two polyatomic ions together).
Acids (The list of acids is on the Regent Reference table)
Bases (The list of bases is on the Regent Reference table)
All the compounds listed in the answer choices are organic because they have a carbon. If we look at their function groups, we can determine that CH3CHO is an aldehyde (CHO), CH3OCH3 is an ether, CH3COOH is an organic acid and CH3CH2CH3 is an alkane (no functional group). Since CH3COOH is an acid, it is capable of conducting electricity, and is therefore an electrolyte.
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