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Ch.13 - Properties of Solutions
Chapter 13, Problem 56

Commercial concentrated aqueous ammonia is 28% NH3 by mass and has a density of 0.90 g/mL. What is the molarity of this solution?

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1
Step 1: Understand the problem. We are asked to find the molarity of a solution. Molarity (M) is defined as the number of moles of solute per liter of solution. In this case, the solute is NH3 (ammonia) and the solution is the mixture of NH3 and water.
Step 2: Calculate the mass of NH3 in 1 liter of solution. Since the density of the solution is 0.90 g/mL, the mass of 1 liter (or 1000 mL) of solution is 0.90 g/mL * 1000 mL = 900 g. Since the solution is 28% NH3 by mass, the mass of NH3 in this 1 liter of solution is 28% * 900 g = 0.28 * 900 g.
Step 3: Convert the mass of NH3 to moles. The molar mass of NH3 is approximately 17.03 g/mol. So, the number of moles of NH3 is the mass of NH3 divided by the molar mass of NH3.
Step 4: Calculate the molarity. The molarity (M) is the number of moles of solute (NH3) per liter of solution. Since we have calculated the number of moles of NH3 in 1 liter of solution in the previous step, this number is the molarity of the solution.
Step 5: Check your answer. The molarity should be a positive number and have the unit of moles per liter (M). If your answer has the correct unit and is a reasonable number, it is likely to be correct.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Molarity

Molarity is a measure of concentration defined as the number of moles of solute per liter of solution. It is expressed in moles per liter (mol/L) and is crucial for understanding how much solute is present in a given volume of solution. To calculate molarity, one must know the amount of solute in moles and the total volume of the solution in liters.
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Density

Density is the mass of a substance per unit volume, typically expressed in grams per milliliter (g/mL) or kilograms per cubic meter (kg/m³). In this context, the density of the ammonia solution allows us to convert between mass and volume, which is essential for determining how much solution is present when calculating molarity.
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Percent by Mass

Percent by mass is a way to express the concentration of a solution, indicating the mass of solute present in a given mass of solution. In this case, a 28% by mass ammonia solution means that there are 28 grams of NH₃ in every 100 grams of the solution. This information is vital for calculating the number of moles of solute when combined with the density of the solution.
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