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Complete Guide to Solutions: Molarity, Molality, % by Mass, Colligative Properties.

Solution is a homogeneous mixture (uniform composition)

Solute = what gets dissolved (Example: NaCl)

Solvent = what the solute dissolves in (Example: H2O)


Solubility

A solution can be :

saturated = the maximum amount of solute has dissolved in the solvent (equilibrium has been reached)

unsaturated = more solute can be dissolved

supersaturated = more than the maximum amount of solvent has dissolved


Concentration

There are multiple ways to express concentration of a solution.

These are:


formulas for concentration of solutions
formulas for concentration of solutions

Problem: What is the mole fraction of water in 100. g of 89% (by mass) ethanol, C2H5OH?

Solution:

mass of ethanol = 89g

mass of water = 100-89=11g

moles of water: 11g(1mol/18g) = 0.61 mol water

moles of ethanol: 89g(1mol/46g) = 1.9mol ethanol

Mole fraction of water = moles of water/ moles of solution

mole fraction of water = 0.61/(0.61+1.9)=0.24


Problem: A solution of NaCl in water has a concentration of 20.5% by mass.

What is the molal concentration of the solution?

Solution : Assume 100 g of solution (since we are given % only)

Solute: NaCl

Solvent: water

Mass of NaCl = 100g(.205)= 20.5g NaCl

Mass of water = 100-20.5g = 79.5 g water(1kg/1000g) = .0795kg

Moles of NaCl = 20.5g/58.44g/mol =0.351mol

Molality= moles of solute/ kg of solvent

molality = 0.351mol/.0795kg= 4.41m



Colligative Properties


Colligative properties are the physical changes that occur when solute is added to pure solvent. Colligative properties depend only on the identity of the solvent and the concentration of the solute. They do not depend on the identity of the solute.


Colligative properties are:

  • vapor-pressure lowering

  • boiling point elevation

  • freeezing point depression

  • osmotic pressure


Vapor Pressure Lowering

When a solute is added to pure solvent, the vapor pressure of solution will be lower than the vapor pressure of pure solvent.

Pa = Pa°Xa

Where P°a= vapor pressure of pure solvent, Xa = mole fraction of solvent, Pa= vapor pressure of solution


Boiling point elevation

When a solute is added to pure solvent, the boiling point of solution will be higher than the boiling point of pure solvent.

ΔTb =iKb*m, where i=number of ions for ionic compounds or 1 for molecular compounds (all nonmetals)

ΔT = change in boiling point (boiling point of solution - boiling point of pure solvent), Kb = boiling point elevation constant and m is molality (moles of solute/kg solvent)


Freezing point depression

When a solute is added to pure solvent, the freezing point of solution will be lower than the freezing point of pure solvent.

ΔTf =iKf*m, where i=number of ions for ionic compounds or 1 for molecular compounds (all nonmetals), ΔT = change in freezing point (freezing point of solution - freezing point of pure solvent), Kf = freezing point constant and m is molality (moles of solute/kg solvent).


Problem: An aqueous solution is 0.0222 m glucose. What is the freezing point of this solution?

ΔTf =iKf*m

Glucose is molecular compound and therefore i=1. We can look up the freezing point constant for water, which is 1.86C/m

ΔTf =1(1.86C/m)(0.0222m)= 0.0413C

This is the change if freezing point.

Freezing point of pure water is 0C.

0C-0.0413C = -0.0413C


Osmotic pressure is the pressure that is needed to stop osmosis (solvent flow through a semipermeable membrane to equalize the solute concentrations on both sides of the membrane).


π= iMRT where I =number of ions for ionic compounds or 1 for molecular compounds (all nonmetals), M is molarity (moles of solute/L of solution), R is the ideal gas constant (0.082 L*atm/(K*mol) and T is temperature in Kelvin.


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