How do acids conduct electricity with H+ ions?

2,835

Acids by themselves don't necessarily conduct electricity. An example is boron tribromide, a Lewis acid. What makes acid (aqueous) solutions good conductors, is the capability of the acid of interacting with water molecules, by creating positive and negative charged ions.

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MartianCactus

Updated on November 22, 2022

Comments

MartianCactus 12 months

I know that ions can conduct electricity, but H+ ions has no electrons! How can it conduct electricity then. Like if we were talking about Cl- or Na+ then these ions do have electrons.

But how can something that has no electrons be used to conduct electricity?

Also, do acids conduct electricity only in water and not on their own?

And, do acids also stop conducting electricity after all the ions have been deionized? (like NaCl aqueous solution)
- Ivan Neretin over 7 years
  
  Electrons are very much not a magic substance that is involved whenever someone talks about electricity. It is electric charge that matters, and $\ce{H+}$ surely does have one.
- MartianCactus over 7 years
  
  so how can a positive charge conduct electricity?
- Ivan Neretin over 7 years
  
  Just like a negative charge does: by moving around.
- MartianCactus over 7 years
  
  so we can do the same thing with a proton too? If yes, then what about bases? They have a OH- ions. How can it conduct electricity?
- Ivan Neretin over 7 years
  
  What same thing? All ions have electric charge. Therefore they conduct electricity whenever they move. That's the reason for conductivity of electrolytes.
- MartianCactus over 7 years
  
  so we use molecules as electrons? Do we only need something to move?
- MartianCactus over 7 years
  
  we use molecules instead of electrons to produce electricity and we make them move due to their charge. That is what I got
- Ivan Neretin over 7 years
  
  Again, electricity does not mean that electrons are involved.
- MartianCactus over 7 years
  
  ok thx for your answer
MartianCactus over 7 years

how does that help in conducting electricity?
The_Vinz over 7 years

Because the transmission of electricity involves the movement of charged particles (be them ions, such as in ionic solutions, or electrons, such as in metals).
MartianCactus over 7 years

ok, thx for your answer