Dilute acids are strong electrolytes. Why?

Options

A. Produce the large number of hydronium ions
B. Produce the smaller number of hydronium ions
C. Produce the large number of hydrogen ions
D. Produce the large number of copper ions

Explanation

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Understanding Electrolytes**:
- Electrolytes are substances that dissociate into ions when dissolved in water, allowing the solution to conduct electricity. They can be classified as strong or weak electrolytes based on their degree of dissociation.

2. **Definition of Dilute Acids**:
- A dilute acid is an acid that has a relatively low concentration of solute (acid) in a solvent (usually water). This means that there is a large amount of water compared to the amount of acid.

3. **Dissociation of Acids**:
- Strong acids dissociate completely in water, meaning that they break down into their constituent ions. For example, hydrochloric acid (HCl) dissociates completely into H⁺ and Cl⁻ ions.

4. **Effect of Dilution**:
- When an acid is diluted, the increased volume of water helps to break the forces of attraction between the ions. This allows more ions to dissociate from the acid, increasing the degree of dissociation.

5. **Formation of Hydronium Ions**:
- In solution, the hydrogen ions (H⁺) produced by the dissociation of the acid combine with water molecules to form hydronium ions (H₃O⁺). This is a crucial point because it is the hydronium ions that are responsible for the acidic properties of the solution.

6. **Conclusion**:
- Therefore, dilute acids are considered strong electrolytes because they produce a large number of hydronium ions (H₃O⁺) when dissolved in water, which enhances their ability to conduct electricity.

### Final Answer:
Dilute acids are strong electrolytes because they dissociate significantly in water, producing a large number of hydronium ions (H₃O⁺), which allows the solution to conduct electricity effectively.

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