Weird: number of moles of NaOH in 20 ml of 1M NaOH

In summary: The molarity calculations work because molarity is defined as moles SOLUTE/volume SOLUTION, so when you multiply by the volume of a solution it will cancel.
  • #1
p3t3r1
33
0
Hi there, this is a not a homework question but rather question about the theory behind this problem.

Say if someone asks you to calculate the number of moles in 20 ml of a 1M NaOH solution, I would usually say it is going to be 20 mmol as you do 20 ml/1000 ml/L x 1M = 0.02 moles = 20 mmol.

However, if you consider the density approach, 1M of NaOH has a density of 1.04 g/ml so 20 ml is 20 x 1.04 g = 20.8 g/40 g/mol (MW of NaOH) that is going to yield 520 mmol of NaOH in 20 mll of 1 M NaOH.

Obviously the density approach give a number that makes no sense. I am just wondering why the density approach is not correct.

Cheers.
 
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  • #2
1.04 g/ml is the density of the entire solution, most of which is water not NaOH.
 
  • #3
p3t3r1 said:
Hi there, this is a not a homework question but rather question about the theory behind this problem.

Say if someone asks you to calculate the number of moles in 20 ml of a 1M NaOH solution, I would usually say it is going to be 20 mmol as you do 20 ml/1000 ml/L x 1M = 0.02 moles = 20 mmol.

However, if you consider the density approach, 1M of NaOH has a density of 1.04 g/ml so 20 ml is 20 x 1.04 g = 20.8 g/40 g/mol (MW of NaOH) that is going to yield 520 mmol of NaOH in 20 mll of 1 M NaOH.

Obviously the density approach give a number that makes no sense. I am just wondering why the density approach is not correct.

Cheers.

You are going wrong there, you shouldn't divide by the MW of NaOH. The 20.8g is the weight of the solution, so it makes no sense.
 
  • #4
Say if someone asks you to calculate the number of moles in 20 ml of a 1M NaOH solution, I would usually say it is going to be 20 mmol as you do 20 ml/1000 ml/L x 1M = 0.02 moles = 20 mmol.

Uncomplicated! You are given 1 Molar NaOH. This is in moles per liter.

However, if you consider the density approach, 1M of NaOH has a density of 1.04 g/ml so 20 ml is 20 x 1.04 g = 20.8 g/40 g/mol (MW of NaOH) that is going to yield 520 mmol of NaOH in 20 mll of 1 M NaOH.

The density is not needed because you already are given the concentration is in moles per liter, and your question was for some number of milliliters; in this case, 0.020 liters. The given and the question do not involve density.
 
  • #5
As the other posters said, you cannot use the density or volume of the entire solution. If you wanted to take the density approach, you would need to figure out the volume of NaOH in your solution, and multiply that by the density of solvated NaOH. That would give you the mass (which will be much smaller than your 20.8 g), which you could then divide by the molar mass.

The molarity calculations work because molarity is defined as moles SOLUTE/volume SOLUTION, so when you multiply by the volume of a solution it will cancel. In your calculations above, your units will not cancel because you are doing
20.8 g SOLUTION
-----------
40 g NaOH/mol NaOH
 

1. How do you calculate the number of moles of NaOH in 20 ml of 1M NaOH?

To calculate the number of moles of NaOH in a solution, you can use the formula: moles = concentration (M) x volume (L). In this case, the concentration is given as 1M and the volume is 20 ml (or 0.02 L). So the number of moles of NaOH in 20 ml of 1M NaOH is 0.02 moles.

2. Why is the number of moles of NaOH important?

The number of moles of NaOH is important because it allows us to accurately measure the amount of a substance present in a solution. This is crucial in many chemical reactions and experiments where precise measurements are necessary.

3. Can the number of moles of NaOH change?

Yes, the number of moles of NaOH can change depending on the concentration and volume of the solution. If the concentration or volume is altered, the number of moles will also change accordingly.

4. How is the concentration of NaOH determined in this solution?

The concentration of NaOH in a solution is typically determined by conducting a titration experiment. This involves adding a known amount of a solution with a known concentration (known as the titrant) to the solution of NaOH until a chemical reaction occurs. The point at which the reaction is complete is used to calculate the concentration of the NaOH solution.

5. What does 1M NaOH mean?

1M NaOH stands for 1 molar solution of sodium hydroxide. This means that there is 1 mole of sodium hydroxide dissolved in every liter of solution. Molarity is a unit of concentration that represents the number of moles of a solute in 1 liter of solution.

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