Electrolyte

• 1834

Definitions

• 1: a nonmetallic electric conductor in which current is carried by the movement of ions

2a : a substance that when dissolved in a suitable solvent or when fused becomes an ionic conductor

b : any of the ions (as of sodium or calcium) that in biological fluid regulate or affect most metabolic processes (as the flow of nutrients into and waste products out of cells)

Description

Substance that conducts electric current as a result of dissociation of its molecules into positively and negatively charged particles called ions. The most familiar electrolytes are acids, bases, and salts, which ionize when dissolved in polar solvents such as water. Many salts, including sodium chloride, behave as electrolytes when melted in the absence of solvent, since they have ionic bonds. The most commonly used electrolytes are dissolved metal salts (for electroplating metals) and acids (in electric batteries). See also electrolysis.