Pure water effectively conducts electricity

The story behind the answer

False. Pure H2O has almost no free ions—the charged particles needed to carry electrical current. While water does self-ionize slightly into H+ and OH−, their concentration is about 10⁻⁷ M each, giving extremely low conductivity. So, pure (distilled or deionized) water is a very poor conductor.

In everyday life, water conducts well because it contains dissolved salts and minerals (ions). That’s why tap water and seawater can complete a circuit—and why electricity and water are a dangerous mix. Labs use deionized water precisely to minimize conductivity. Memory tip: It’s the ions, not the water. If the water is “dirty” with ions, it conducts; if it’s truly pure, it barely does.