Can you give a reason? (Covalent compounds such as camphor and naphthalene do not conduct electricity.)
Covalent compounds such as camphor and naphthalene do not conduct electricity because they do not provide ions in the solid state or in solution. For a substance to conduct electricity, ions must be free to move.
In ionic compounds, ions become free to move when dissolved in water, which allows them to conduct electricity. However, covalent compounds do not dissociate into free ions. Even when some covalent compounds dissolve in water, they do not provide ions in the solution.
Since camphor and naphthalene lack these free-moving charged particles, they cannot carry an electric current and are non-conductors of electricity.
Explanation
The textbook context highlights that electrical conductivity requires free-moving ions, as seen when ionic compounds dissolve in water. In contrast, covalent compounds like sugar, camphor, and naphthalene do not provide ions in solution. Because camphor and naphthalene do not generate free ions in either solid or dissolved states, they cannot conduct electricity.
Solution Steps
Step 1: Identify the requirement for conducting electricity, which is the presence of free-moving ions.
Step 2: Note that covalent compounds like camphor and naphthalene do not provide ions in the solid state or in solution.
Step 3: Conclude that without free ions to carry the electric current, these covalent compounds cannot conduct electricity.