How many moles of solute are present in 5.0 L of a 5.0 M potassium nitrate (KNO_3) solution?

• A. 0.25 moles
• B. 25 moles
• C. 1 mole
• D. 10 moles

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the given information: the volume of the solution is 5.0 L and the molarity (M) of the potassium nitrate (KNO_3) solution is 5.0 M.
2. Recall the definition of molarity: Molarity (M) is the number of moles of solute per liter of solution, expressed as \(M = \frac{\text{moles of solute}}{\text{liters of solution}}\).
3. Rearrange the molarity formula to solve for moles of solute: \(\text{moles of solute} = M \times \text{liters of solution}\).
4. Substitute the known values into the equation: \(\text{moles of solute} = 5.0\, M \times 5.0\, L\).
5. Calculate the product to find the number of moles of KNO_3 in the solution (do not compute the final number here, just set up the expression).