Question

Why is potassium nitrate classified as aj electrolyte?

Answer 1

KNO3 is a strong electrolyte because it completely dissociates into ions in water. Dissociates means it immediately breaks into ions of K+ (potassium cation) and NO3- (nitrate anion). Thus it also conducts electricity very well compared to a weak electrolyte.

Answer 2

Potassium Nitrate is classified as an electrolyte because of its highly conductive nature when dissolved in water.

Explanation

Potassium nitrate represented as KNO3 are ionic bonded compounds.

They are polar substances as the electronegative difference between nitrate and potassium is very high, so they can easily break their bond and dissolve in water easily.

It has large range of applications. It is even used as gun powder, in firecrackers etc,.

As the KNO3 is easily soluble in water and they can form K+ and NO3- ions when dissolved in water.

These ions acts as conducting agents in the water solution so they act as electrolyte.

As electrolytes are the solutions which have the capacity to conduct electrical energy in the electrochemical reactions, the conductive nature of potassium nitrate dissolved in water makes them useful as an electrolyte in salt bridge experiment.