thumbnail|glacÃ©au's smartwater branded bottled water has added electrolytes for taste. an electrolyte is a substance that ionizes when dissolved in suitable ionizing solvents such as water. this includes most soluble salts, acids, and bases. some gases, such as hydrogen chloride, under conditions of high temperature or low pressure can also function as electrolytes. electrolyte solutions can also result from the dissolution of some biological (e.g., dna, polypeptides) and synthetic polymers (e.g., polystyrene sulfonate), termed polyelectrolytes, which contain charged functional groups. electrolyte solutions are normally formed when a salt is placed into a solvent such as water and the individual components dissociate due to the thermodynamic interactions between solvent and solute molecules, in a process called solvation. for example, when table salt (sodium chloride), nacl, is placed in water, the salt (a solid) dissolves into its component ions, according to the dissociation reaction :nacl(s) â na+(aq) + clâ(aq) it is also possible for substances to react with water, producing ions. for example, carbon dioxide gas dissolves in water to produce a solution that contains hydronium, carbonate, and hydrogen carbonate ions. note that molten salts can be electrolytes, as well. for instance, when sodium chloride is molten, the liquid conducts electricity. an electrolyte in a solution may be described as concentrated if it has a high concentration of ions, or dilute if it has a low concentration. if a high proportion of the solute dissociates to form free ions, the electrolyte is strong; if most of the solute does not dissociate, the electrolyte is weak. the properties of electrolytes may be exploited using electrolysis to extract constituent elements and compounds contained within the solution. ==physiological importance== in physiology, the primary ions of electrolytes are sodium (na+), potassium (k+), calcium (ca2+), magnesium (mg2+), chloride (clâ), hydrogen phosphate (hpo42â), and hydrogen carbonate (hco3â). the electric charge symbols of plus (+) and minus (â) indicate that the substance is ionic in nature and has an imbalanced distribution of electrons, the result of chemical dissociation. sodium is the main electrolyte found in extracellular fluid and is involved in fluid balance and blood pressure control. all known higher lifeforms require a subtle and complex electrolyte balance between the intracellular and extracellular environment. in particular, the maintenance of precise osmotic gradients of electrolytes is important. such gradients affect and regulate the hydration of the body
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