What is the total number of moles of solute present in 0.50 L of a 3.0 M HCl solution?

• A. 0.17 moles
• B. 1.5 moles
• C. 0.50 moles
• D. 6.0 moles

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the given information: the volume of the solution is 0.50 L and the molarity (M) of HCl is 3.0 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: \(\text{moles of solute} = M \times \text{volume of solution (L)}\).
4. Substitute the known values into the equation: \(\text{moles of solute} = 3.0\,M \times 0.50\,L\).
5. Calculate the product to find the total moles of HCl in the solution (do not compute the final number here, just set up the expression).