The strengths of acids and bases are directly related to their strengths as electrolytes. The electrical conductivity of `0.1 MHCl:`

Options

A. is higher than `0.1 M CH_(3)COOH`
B. is lower than `0.1M CH_(3)COOH`
C. equal to `0.1 M CH_(3)COOH`
D. None

Explanation

To solve the question regarding the electrical conductivity of `0.1 M HCl`, we need to understand the relationship between the strength of acids, their dissociation in water, and their ability to conduct electricity. Here’s a step-by-step solution:

### Step 1: Identify the nature of HCl
HCl (hydrochloric acid) is classified as a strong acid. This means that it completely dissociates into ions when dissolved in water.

**Hint:** Remember that strong acids dissociate completely in solution, while weak acids do not.

### Step 2: Write the dissociation equation for HCl
When HCl is dissolved in water, it dissociates as follows:
\[ \text{HCl} \rightarrow \text{H}^+ + \text{Cl}^- \]

This means that for every mole of HCl, one mole of H\(^+\) ions and one mole of Cl\(^-\) ions are produced.

**Hint:** Strong acids produce a high concentration of ions in solution, which contributes to higher conductivity.

### Step 3: Compare with a weak acid
Now, let’s consider a weak acid, such as acetic acid (CH₃COOH). Acetic acid does not dissociate completely in solution. Its dissociation can be represented as:
\[ \text{CH}_3\text{COOH} \rightleftharpoons \text{CH}_3\text{COO}^- + \text{H}^+ \]

In a `0.1 M` solution of acetic acid, only a small fraction of the acetic acid molecules will dissociate into ions.

**Hint:** Weak acids produce fewer ions in solution compared to strong acids at the same concentration.

### Step 4: Conductivity comparison
Since HCl dissociates completely into ions, a `0.1 M` solution of HCl will produce `0.1 M` of H\(^+\) and `0.1 M` of Cl\(^-\) ions, resulting in a total of `0.2 M` of ions. In contrast, the `0.1 M` acetic acid will produce significantly fewer ions due to its partial dissociation.

**Hint:** The more ions present in a solution, the higher the electrical conductivity.

### Step 5: Conclusion
Based on the above analysis, we can conclude that the electrical conductivity of `0.1 M HCl` is higher than that of `0.1 M acetic acid` because HCl is a strong acid that fully dissociates, whereas acetic acid is a weak acid that only partially dissociates.

**Final Answer:** The electrical conductivity of `0.1 M HCl` is higher than that of `0.1 M acetic acid`.