Question

Why do strongly-dissociating acids conduct electricity?

Answer 1

A conductive solution is a solution that contains ions which will serve as electrons shuttles through the different sides of the solution.

Explanation:

A conductive solution is a solution that contains ions which will serve as electrons shuttles through the different sides of the solution.

The higher the concentration of ions in a solution, the higher its ability to conduct electricity.

Strong acids are known for their full dissociation into their corresponding ions, and therefore, they produce high concentration of ions in solution, and thus the solution will be highly conductive.

`HA(aq)->H^(+)(aq)+A^(-)(aq)`

Consider the following particulate representation for a strong acid (`"hydrochloric acid, "HCl`) and a weak acid (`"acetic acid, "CH_3COOH`):

Image source: Zumdahl 9th Ed.

You can easily notice that hydrochloric acid produces much more ions in solution than acetic acid and therefore the `HCl` solution will have a higher conductivity then the `CH_3COOH` solution.