Calculate the molarity of the following aqueous solutions: (c) 25.0 mL of 3.50 M HNO₃ diluted to 0.250 L.

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the initial concentration and volume of the solution: 3.50 M and 25.0 mL, respectively.
2. Convert the initial volume from milliliters to liters by dividing by 1000: 25.0 mL = 0.0250 L.
3. Use the dilution formula: \( M_1 \times V_1 = M_2 \times V_2 \), where \( M_1 \) and \( V_1 \) are the initial molarity and volume, and \( M_2 \) and \( V_2 \) are the final molarity and volume.
4. Substitute the known values into the dilution formula: \( 3.50 \times 0.0250 = M_2 \times 0.250 \).
5. Solve for \( M_2 \) by dividing both sides of the equation by 0.250 L to find the final molarity.

Key Concepts

Molarity

Molarity (M) 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. Molarity is commonly used in chemistry to prepare solutions and perform stoichiometric calculations.

Dilution

Dilution is the process of reducing the concentration of a solute in a solution, typically by adding more solvent. The dilution equation, M1V1 = M2V2, relates the initial and final molarities (M1 and M2) and volumes (V1 and V2) of the solution. Understanding dilution is essential for calculating the new concentration after mixing a concentrated solution with a solvent.

Volume Conversion

Volume conversion is the process of changing the volume of a solution from one unit to another, such as milliliters (mL) to liters (L). In this question, the initial volume of HNO3 is given in mL, while the final volume is in liters. Accurate volume conversion is necessary to ensure that calculations involving molarity and dilution are performed correctly.