Electrical Engineering ⇒ Topic : Electrolytes

Electrolytes

A liquid which conducts electric current due to the drifting of ions is called an electrolyte.Salts like silver nitrate (AgNO₃), sodium chloride (NaC₁), copper sulphate (CuSO₄), etc. when dissolved in water dissociate into ions. Their ionic dissociation can be represented as under

The atom or group of atoms having positive charge is called a positive ion. On the other hand,the atom or group of atoms having negative charge is called a negative ion. For example, when NaC1  is dissolved in water, it splits into positive ions (Na⁺) and negative ions (Cl^-). The conduction of current through an electrolyte is due to the drifting of negative and positive ions within the liquid.