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LIVE LAB 07 • ELECTROCHEMISTRY
Watch water dipoles approach, orient and lock around an ion in a rotatable 3D hydration shell, then compare realistic hydrated-ion motion in an electric field.
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COMPLETE CONCEPT GUIDE
Water molecules orient around dissolved ions because water is polar. The lab connects this microscopic hydration shell with the movement of ions in an electric field.
The oxygen end of water points toward a cation, while the hydrogen ends point toward an anion. Water molecules exchange with the surrounding liquid; a hydration shell is a dynamic environment, not a permanently attached rigid cage.
For comparable ions, a higher charge and smaller ionic radius usually produce stronger ion–dipole interactions and a more negative hydration enthalpy. Hydration enthalpy describes gaseous ions becoming hydrated, rather than the overall enthalpy of dissolving a salt.
In dilute aqueous solutions near room temperature, lithium ions are strongly hydrated and have lower ionic mobility than caesium ions despite their smaller bare ionic radius. Mobility also depends on solvent, temperature and concentration.
HYDRATION & MOBILITY FAQ
A small ion can interact strongly with water, increasing its effective hydrated size and resistance to motion. Bare ionic radius alone therefore does not determine aqueous ionic mobility.
Hydration of gaseous ions is generally exothermic, so its enthalpy change is negative. Stronger hydration means a larger magnitude of this negative change.
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