Degree of dissociation (α)

The degree of dissociation of an electrolyte is defined as a fraction of the total number of moles of the electrolyte that dissociates into its ions when the equilibrium is attained. It is denoted by the symbol $\alpha$ and given by

If $c$ is the molar concentration of an electrolyte, the equilibrium concentration of the cation or the anion is $(\alpha \times c)\ \mathrm{mol\,dm^{-3}}$. …