Which of the following solutions contains the greatest total ion concentration in 1.0 L of solution?

• A. 1.0 M AlCl_3
• B. 1.0 M K_2SO_4
• C. 1.0 M CaCl_2
• D. 1.0 M NaCl

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the dissociation of each compound in water and determine the number of ions produced per formula unit. For example, AlCl_3 dissociates into Al^{3+} and 3 Cl^{-} ions.
2. Write the dissociation equations for each compound: - AlCl_3 \rightarrow Al^{3+} + 3 Cl^{-} - K_2SO_4 \rightarrow 2 K^{+} + SO_4^{2-} - CaCl_2 \rightarrow Ca^{2+} + 2 Cl^{-} - NaCl \rightarrow Na^{+} + Cl^{-}
3. Calculate the total ion concentration for each solution by multiplying the molarity of the compound by the total number of ions produced upon dissociation. For example, for AlCl_3, total ion concentration = 1.0 M \times 4 ions = 4.0 M ions.
4. Compare the total ion concentrations calculated for each solution to determine which one has the greatest total ion concentration.
5. Conclude which solution contains the greatest total ion concentration based on the comparison.