CHEMICAL EFFECTS OF ELECTRIC CURRENT

Introduction
• A conductor is any material or substance that allows electricity to
flow through it.Eg-metals
• An insulator is any substance or material that prevents the flow of
electricity through it.Plastic,rubber
• Any substance can be called as a conductor of electricity if it
allows movement of charges through it.

TOPIC-1 Do Liquids Conduct Electricity?

Conducting Liquid
Some Liquids are good conductors of Electricity. For Eg: Tap water, salt
solution,hydrochloric acid, sodium hydroxide etc. (solutions of acids,bases salts
are conductors of electricity)
Some liquids are poor conductors of electricity. For Eg: Distilled Water, sugar
solution, kerosene, spirit

• Liquids conduct electricity too, when there are salts dissolved in the
liquid.
• Different substances when mixed in water and electricity is passed
through them can break apart and form positive and negative
particles or ions in the water.
• These ions can pass the electric current through them.
• The more is the number of ions in a liquid the better conductor it is
of electricity.
Many compounds do not form any ions on mixing them with water
and therefore they are poor conductors of electricity such as sugar
water, oil and alcohol.
 Text book 2.
When the free ends of a tester are dipped into a solution, the magnetic needle shows
deflection. Can you explain the reason?
Ans-The deflection in magnetic needle shows that the circuit is complete and
the solution conducts electricity, i.e., it is a good conductor.
Text book Q 3
Name three liquids, which when tested in the manner shown in Fig.14.9, may cause
the magnetic needle to deflect. Fig. 14.

Ans-Vinegar, lemon juice and tap water.

TEXT BOOK Q4
The bulb does not glow in the setup shown in Fig.14.10. List the possible reasons.
Explain your answer.
Ans-The bulb may not glow because of the following reasons:
(i) The wires in the circuit may be loosely connected.
(ii) The bulb may be fused.
(iii) The cells may be used up.
(iv) The liquid may be an insulator, i.e., a poor conductor of electricity.
TEXT BOOK Q8
A child staying in a coastal region tests the drinking water and also the seawater with
his tester. He finds that the compass needle deflects more in the case of seawater. Can
you explain the reason
Ans-The seawater contains a huge amount of salts in comparison to drinking
water, hence the seawater is a better conductor of electricity and it produces
a stronger magnetic field in the wire and hence deflects the compass needle
more.
TEXTBOOK Q 10
Paheli had heard that rainwater is as good as distilled water. So she collected some
rainwater in a clean glass tumbler and tested it using a tester. To her surprise she
found that the compass needle showed deflection. What could be the reasons
Ans-Rain water is pure water which is an insulator but it gets mixed with air
pollutants like sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides and form acidic solution,
which is a good conductor of electricity. So, the compass needle showed
deflection.
AW

1. What substances can be added to distilled water in small amounts to make it a good
conductor of electricity ? (1)
2. NAILED IT 3. In case of a fire, before the fireman uses the water hoses to throw water
to douse fire, they shut of the electricity supply for the area. Explain why this is done
?
Why LED bulbs are more suitable for testing the electrical conductivity of
liquids?

ANS the LED bulbs can detect the flow of even a small amount of electric current as
well. Hence, LED bulbs are suitable for testing the electrical conductivity of liquids.