ionisation

[physics]

Why is it that the weaker the concentration the lower the ionisation energy? for ethanoic acid?

[Martoman]

I assume you means amount of ionisation?

If so, less amount of acid means less ions given away... but it will still ionise the same percentage.

[physics]

I assume you means amount of ionisation?

If so, less amount of acid means less ions given away... but it will still ionise the same percentage.

is there a way to show this visually...i dont get it. sorry.
but wouldn't lower concentration mean less ions but r u saying that no matter how weak the concentration it will always ionise to a certain degreee.
eg.
if there were 100 blobs and only 10 would ionise
so if there were 90 blobs still only 10 would ionise?
but then what if there were only 9blobs would they all ionise?

[andy456]

I think martoman means that the percentage of ionisation will always stay the same....

for your example 100 blobs ionise to 10 so thats 10%
if you reduced it to 90 blobs only 9 would ionise so thats 10% also
if there were 80 blobs only 8 would ionise giving 10%

so as you can see everytime the ionisation is 10% but the amount ionised (ie, 8 9 or 10) differs with concentration

[physics]

but in the neap exam 2010 the % ionisation decreases with concentration ...it doesnt remainthe same :S?

[andy456]

Oh.... well I dont know then, sorry

[physics]

well according to NEAP they say that it is because of the volume of H20. because there is a lot of h20 then there would be a foward reaction which mamkes more reactants?

[Mao]

%ionisation always increases with dilution. The lower the concentration, the greater ionisation.

[physics]

why???

[Mao]

I thought this would have been covered months ago?

Anyways, here's a few links:

http://vcenotes.com/forum/index.php/topic,30650.0.html
http://vcenotes.com/forum/index.php/topic,30745.0.html
http://vcenotes.com/forum/index.php/topic,4592.msg54556.html#msg54556