HOMEWORK – LESSON 7
Reading: Calculating molarity - Solution dilution
Most reactions in the general chemistry laboratory are carried out in solutions. One
component of a solution, called the solvent, determines whether the solution exists as a
solid, liquid, or gas. In this discussion we will limit ourselves to aqueous solutions -
solutions in which liquid water is the solvent. The other components of a solution, called
solutes, are dissolved in the solvent. The composition of a solution may be specified by
giving its molarity, which is defined as the amount of solute, in moles, per liter of solution.
When calculating concentration, we must determine the amount of solute in moles
from other quantities that can be readily measured, such as the mass of solute or the volume
of a liquid solute. The mass of a liquid solute is related to its volume by using density as a
conversion factor. Then, molar mass is used to convert from the mass of solute to an amount
of solute in moles. Also, the solution volume is converted from milliliters (ml) to liters (l).
Figure below illustrates a method commonly used to prepare a solution. A solid
sample is weighed out and dissolved in sufficient water to produce a solution of known
volume - 250.0 ml. To fill a beaker to a 250 ml mark is not nearly precise enough as a
volume measurement.
There would be a systematic error because the beaker is not calibrated with sufficient
precision. (The error in volume could be 10 to 20 ml or more.) To dissolve the solute in
water and bring the solution level to the 250 ml mark in a graduated cylinder is also not
sufficiently precise. Although the graduated cylinder is calibrated more precisely than the
beaker, the error might still be 1 to 2 ml or more. However, when filled to the calibration
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mark, the volumetric flask pictured in Figure above contains 250.0 ml with only about 0.1
ml of error.
When the molarity of a solution is known accurately, we can calculate the number of
moles of solute in a carefully measured volume of solution by using the equation below.
n = CM × V (7.1)
A common sight in chemistry storerooms and laboratories is rows of bottles containing
solutions for use in chemical reactions. It is not practical, however, to store solutions of
every possible concentration. Instead, most labs store fairly concentrated solutions, so-
called stock solutions, which can then be used to prepare more dilute solutions by adding
water. The principle of dilution, which you have probably already inferred, is that the same
solute that was present in a sample of stock solution is distributed throughout the larger
volume of a diluted solution.
When a volume of a solution is diluted, the amount of solute remains constant. If we
write equation (7.1) for the initial (i) undiluted solution, we obtain ni = CMiVi; for the final
(f) diluted solution, we obtain nf = CMfVf. Because ni is equal to nf, we obtain the following
result:
CMiVi = CMfVf (7.2)
(R.H. Petrucci, General Chemistry, Chapter 4.)
Read the text carefully and answer the following questions:
1. What are the components of a solution?
2. Establish the formula of calculating the molarity of a solution.
3. Which glassware can be used to prepare a solution? Among them which one is the best
choice? Why?
4. What do stock solutions used for?
5. How does the amount of solute do when a volume of a solution is diluted?