186 PROPERTIES OF ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTING SYSTEMS 



It seems fairly clear that, on the addition of water to a solution of 

 an acid in alcohol, a complex is formed between the acid and the added 

 water. The hydrogen ion of this complex moves with a speed much 

 lower than that of the normal hydrogen ion in alcohol or in pure water. 

 In the case of the weaker acids, the ionization of the hydrated acid is 



i.o 



Mols of Water. 



3.0 



FIG. 41. Illustrating the Influence of Water on the Conductance of Different 

 Electrolytes in Ethyl Alcohol. 



much greater than that of the unhydrated acid. In solutions of salts in 

 non-aqueous solvents, there is, as we have seen, a similar increase in 

 ionization on the addition of water in the case of those salts which exhibit 

 a pronounced tendency to form complexes with water. In these cases, 

 therefore, the process of ionization is intimately connected with the 

 formation of a more or less definite complex, and since these complexes 

 are formed on the addition of a small amount of water to solutions in 



