Question

Explain why the molar conductivity of a strong electrolytic solution increases only slightly when concentration is decreased.

Answer 1

1. The molar conductivity of a strong electrolyte increases only slightly with a decrease in concentration because strong electrolytes are completely ionised in solution.
2. The slight increase is due to the decrease in interionic attractions and ionic atmosphere effects at lower concentrations, which allows ions to move more freely, slightly increasing conductivity.
3. However, since the number of ions does not increase (they are already fully dissociated), the increase in molar conductivity is small.