Conductivity of Liquids

Conductivity of Liquids

We can use a tester to check if electricity is flowing through a wire in a circuit. If the bulb in the tester glows, it indicates that current is flowing through the wire; else, current does not exist. Electrical conductivity of liquids can be explained by a simple activity of taking a liquid, like lemon juice, in a container, inserting electrodes in it, connecting the two electrodes to the terminals of a battery with a bulb between them. The bulb glows, indicating that lemon juice is a conductor of electricity. Several liquids can be checked for electrical conductivity on in the same way.

We find that liquids like lemon juice, liquid soap, rain water, salt solution, etc. conduct electricity, whereas liquids like distilled water, oil, etc. do not conduct electricity. The materials that conduct electricity are conductors and those that do not conduct are called insulators. When electricity is passed through a conducting solution, the molecules of the solution dissociate into ions, which cause electrical conduction through the liquid. This process is due to the chemical effect of electric current.