What is the concentration of sodium ions in a 0.200 M solution of Na3PO4?

• A. 0.200 M
• B. 0.0667 M
• C. 0.400 M
• D. 0.600 M

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the chemical formula of the compound: sodium phosphate is Na\_3PO\_4, which means each formula unit contains 3 sodium ions (Na\^+).
2. Understand that the concentration of the solution (0.200 M) refers to the concentration of Na\_3PO\_4 formula units in the solution.
3. Since each formula unit produces 3 sodium ions, multiply the molarity of Na\_3PO\_4 by 3 to find the concentration of sodium ions: \(\text{[Na\^+]} = 3 \times 0.200\,M\).
4. Set up the calculation without solving: \(\text{[Na\^+]} = 3 \times 0.200\,M\).
5. Interpret the result as the total concentration of sodium ions in the solution, which will be higher than the original molarity of Na\_3PO\_4 due to the multiple sodium ions per formula unit.