Distilled water contains essentially no dissolved ions. Which type of aqueous solution does distilled water most closely represent?

• A. Supersaturated solution
• B. Strong electrolyte solution
• C. Weak electrolyte solution
• D. Nonelectrolyte solution

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the definition of an electrolyte: an electrolyte is a substance that produces ions and conducts electricity when dissolved in water.
2. Recognize that distilled water contains very few ions, meaning it does not conduct electricity well and does not dissociate into ions significantly.
3. Recall the types of solutions based on ion content: strong electrolyte solutions have many ions, weak electrolyte solutions have few ions, and nonelectrolyte solutions have essentially no ions.
4. Compare distilled water to these categories and note that it most closely resembles a nonelectrolyte solution because it contains essentially no dissolved ions.
5. Conclude that distilled water is best classified as a nonelectrolyte solution since it does not conduct electricity due to the lack of ions.