Which Properties Concerning Ionic and Covalent Compounds Are Incorrect?

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SUMMARY

The discussion identifies incorrect statements regarding ionic and covalent compounds, specifically statements A, B, and E. Statement A claims all ionic compounds are soluble in water, which is misleading as some have very low solubility. Statement B asserts that all covalent molecules are insoluble in water, which is false since substances like sugar and ethanol are soluble. Statement E incorrectly states that covalent molecules can only conduct electricity in the molten state, disregarding their ability to conduct in solution. The conversation emphasizes the importance of scrutinizing absolute terms in scientific statements.

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  • Understanding of ionic and covalent bonding
  • Knowledge of solubility principles in chemistry
  • Familiarity with the concept of solubility product constant (Ksp)
  • Basic electrical conductivity principles in different states of matter
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  • Research the solubility product constant (Ksp) for various ionic compounds
  • Explore the solubility of common covalent compounds in water and organic solvents
  • Study the electrical conductivity of ionic and covalent compounds in different states
  • Examine the definitions and implications of terms like "soluble" and "insoluble" in chemistry
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Chemistry students, educators, and professionals seeking to clarify misconceptions about ionic and covalent compounds and their properties.

topsyturvy
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Which properties concerning ionic compounds and covalent molecules are INCORRECT? pick 3 statements.

A.) All ionic compounds are soluble in water.
B.) All covalent molecules are INSOLUBLE in water.
C.) Covalent molecules are usually soluble in organic solvents.
D.) Covalent molecules have high volatility but low boiling points. Thus, at
room temperature, they are usually liquids or gases.
E.) Covalent molecules can only conduct electricity in the molten state.

i pick A, B and E for incorrect statements.
does anybody disagree?
Initially i thought that all covalent molecules are INSOLUBLE in water. is that true?
 
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I would also pick A, B, and E. Some covalent molecules are soluble in water- examples include sugar and ethanol so B is incorrect. If you really want to split hairs, you could argue that A is actually a correct statement because all ionic compounds are soluble in water to some degree. These "insoluble" ionic compounds have a solubility product constant that describes how much dissolves. These constants are very low and can range from 10^-3 to 10^-100. However, a substance is commonly defined as "insoluble" if less than 0.01 mol dissolves per liter of water. So that's why I'd still pick A.
 
The lesson to take away from this question (more than the chemistry involved) is to be very wary of statements that use words like all, always, only, never, etc.
 

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