Question

Hydrogen chloride gas dissolves in water to form solution A.
Hydrogen chloride gas dissolves in methylbenzene to form solution B.
A teacher adds a piece of magnesium ribbon to each solution.
Explain why she observes effervescence with solution A but not with solution B.

Answer 1

Answer:

HCl is a strong electrolyte and when it dissolves in water it separates almost completely into positively - charged hydrogen ions and negatively - charged chloride ions. ... The ions are surrounded by water molecules, like the sodium and hydroxide ions above, but hydrogen ion has a special relationship with water.

But

when HCl dissolves in methylbenzene, The solution also conducts electricity because it contains ions that are free to move. However, when hydrogen chloride gas dissolves in a solvent methylbenzene, the molecules do not split up. A solution of HCl in methylbenzene does not contain hydrogen ions, so it is not acidic.