Calculate the ionic strength for the following ionic compound.
0.04 M SnO₂

• A. 0.40
• B. 0.48
• C. 0.12
• D. 0.96
• E. 0.24

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the ions present in the compound SnO2. Tin(IV) oxide dissociates into Sn^{4+} and O^{2-} ions in solution.
2. Determine the concentration of each ion in the solution. Given that the concentration of SnO2 is 0.04 M, the concentration of Sn^{4+} ions is 0.04 M, and the concentration of O^{2-} ions is 0.08 M (since each SnO2 produces two O^{2-} ions).
3. Use the formula for ionic strength: I = \frac{1}{2} \sum c_i z_i^2, where c_i is the concentration of each ion and z_i is the charge of each ion.
4. Substitute the concentrations and charges into the formula: I = \frac{1}{2} [(0.04)(4)^2 + (0.08)(2)^2].
5. Calculate the ionic strength by evaluating the expression, ensuring to square the charges and multiply by the respective concentrations before summing and dividing by 2.