Dilute Copper Sulfate and dilute solution of vinegar?

Question

Imagine you have a light bulb and battery conductivity tester. You are given a dilute of copper sulfate and a dilute solution of vinegar, acetic acid. Copper sulfate is an ionic compound. You may recall that acetic acid reacts with water to produce ions in solution according to the equation below: H2O + CH3COOH <--> CH3COO- + H2O+
a.What would be the result if you tested each of these solutions for conductivity?
b.Suppose you added more copper sulfate and acetic acid to the solutions and retested. Would that change the results? Explain your answer.
c.If you continued to add copper sulfate and acetic acid until the solutions held as much solute as possible what would be the result? Explain your answer.

Answer 1

CuSO4 is quite a good electrolyte, and the bulb will light relatively brightly. CH3COOH is a weak acid, and a very poor electrolyte, so the bulb will be very dim indeed.

If you increased the concentration of each solution by adding more solute (the question is not clear in this respect) both would conduct better, since there are more ions per cubic centimetre present to carry the current. But the CH3COOH would still not conduct very well. This would continue up to the saturation point, and then not increase any more.

However, the question seems to ignore the fact that, if you kept on adding CH3COOH to water, they would continue to mix, and all that would happen is that the acid would become the solvent, and the water the solute! I don't think the teacher who set the question thought of that!