not conductive or not very conductive when dissolved in water

ionic
covalent

2 answers

idk

When considering the conductivity of substances when dissolved in water, it's important to distinguish between ionic and covalent compounds:

  1. Ionic Compounds: These are generally conductive when dissolved in water. This is because they dissociate into ions in solution, and these ions can carry an electrical current. Examples include sodium chloride (table salt), which dissolves in water to form Na⁺ and Cl⁻ ions.

  2. Covalent Compounds: Many covalent compounds are not conductive or are very weakly conductive when dissolved in water. This is because they do not dissociate into ions. Instead, they may remain as neutral molecules in solution. An example of a covalent compound is sugar (sucrose), which does not produce ions when dissolved in water.

So, if a substance is "not conductive or not very conductive when dissolved in water," it is likely a covalent compound.