Can Ionic Compounds conduct electricity in a gaseous state?

  • #1
SliverStrike
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TL;DR Summary
Can electrolysis be performed on an ionic compound in a gaseous state??
A metallic substance in solid or liquid form can conduct electricity because of its valence electrons.

An ionic substance in liquid form can conduct electricity through the movement of the ions but not as a solid.

A molecular substance cannot conduct electricity in solid nor liquid form.

In case you're wondering, these information are from a chemistry textbook but there is no mention of these substances in gas form. Would the gas form of any of the three substances conduct electricity if so which ones?
 
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  • #2
Welcome to PF.

SliverStrike said:
Would the gas form of any of the three substances conduct electricity if so which ones?
Welcome to PF.
A cold gas will not conduct electricity. Sufficient energy to ionise the gas must be provided, making it a plasma, before electrons and ions will be free to move separately.
 
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  • #3
So if we supply sufficient energy to ionise a gas of an ionic compound would it break down into its constituent parts as in electrolysis once cooled down or reform?
 
  • #4
SliverStrike said:
An ionic substance in liquid form can conduct electricity through the movement of the ions but not as a solid.
This statement is not quite correct as ionic substances in solid form can conduct electricity through the movement of ions. This is the realm of solid-state ionics: The study of ionic-electronic mixed conductors and fully ionic conductors (solid electrolytes) and their uses.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solid_state_ionics
 

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