Question

What does it mean to say that a base is an electrolyte?

Answer 1

It is a weak electrolyte or a strong electrolyte, or somewhere in between.

Explanation:

Depending on the strength of the base it will be anywhere from one to the other:

A WEAK BASE
means it is a weak electrolyte (such as `"NH"_3`). This means that the base will only partially dissociate or associate, leaving free ions and undissociated molecules in solution.

A STRONG BASE
means it is a strong electrolyte (such as `"NaOH"`) and will dissociate or associate pretty much completely leaving only ions and none of the original species.