Question

Shown below is an ion from a salt molecule.

mc005-1.jpg

Which statement best explains the event?
This is hydration, which occurs during ionization.
This is hydration, which occurs during dissociation.
This is the formation of electrolytes during ionization.
This is the formation of ions from a covalent compound.

Answers

GPT-4o mini
To accurately evaluate the event shown in the image (which we cannot see, but we can infer from the context), we can analyze the statements based on general chemistry principles.

1. **Hydration and Ionization**: Hydration is the process where water molecules surround and interact with ions. Ionization generally refers to the process where molecules (often in the form of compounds) are converted into ions, which can happen during the dissolution of ionic compounds in water.

2. **Hydration and Dissociation**: Dissociation refers to the breaking apart of a compound into its constituent ions when it dissolves in a solvent like water. Hydration would then occur as water surrounds these ions.

3. **Formation of Electrolytes during Ionization**: Electrolytes are typically produced when ionic compounds dissolve in water, resulting in the formation of their ions. The statement suggests that this happens specifically during ionization.

4. **Formation of Ions from a Covalent Compound**: Generally, covalent compounds do not dissociate into ions; rather, they remain as molecules unless they react to form ions through processes like ionization.

Based on this understanding, the most appropriate statement is:

**This is hydration, which occurs during dissociation.**

This statement describes the process where an ionic compound dissociates into its ions when dissolved in water, and those ions become hydrated.