Question

Which of the following will conduct electricity and which not?

MgCl₂, CCl₄, NaCl, CS₂, Na₂S

Give reasons for your choice.

Answer 1

The MgCl₂, NaCl, and Na₂S are ionic compounds. They conduct electricity because they produce free ions when molten or dissolved in water.

The CCl₄ and CS₂ are covalent compounds. They do not produce ions in solution and therefore do not conduct electricity.