CHAPTER X.
��Degree of Dissociation and Dissociation Constant.
��Strong and Weak Electrolytes. — Before proceediug further it will be advisable to classify the electrolytes into two groups — those highly dissociated and those dissociated only to a slight extent, or, shortly, strong and weak electrolytes. All salts belong to the first class, with a few exceptions which have not yet been thoroughly investigated (copper acetate, mercury salts, potassium antimonyl tartrate, and possibly some compounds closely allied to these) ; and to this class belong also many of the inorganic mono- and di-valent acids and bases. The organic acids and bases (but not exclu- sively these) are weak electrolytes; as examples we may quote the already-mentioned cases of acetic acid and ammonia. These latter substances at moderate dilution are only dissociated to the extent of a few per cents. There are, of course, substances which stand roughly between these two groups, but their number is comparatively small.
Degree of Dissociation of some Typical Electrolytes. — In order to give some idea of the behaviour of various electrolytes, the following table contains the degree of dissociation of some commonly occurring salts : —
��V
��OOOOl
HCl.
�KCl.
�KG9U,02.
�iBaOj.
�iKgSO^.
��iZnSOi.
�� �
