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Ch.4 - Reactions in Aqueous Solution
Chapter 4, Problem 102b

Citric acid, C6H8O7, is a triprotic acid. It occurs naturally in citrus fruits like lemons and has applications in food flavouring and preservatives. A solution containing an unknown concentration of the acid is titrated with KOH. It requires 23.20 mL of 0.500 M KOH solution to titrate all three acidic protons in 100.00 mL of the citric acid solution. Calculate the molarity of the citric acid solution.

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Key Concepts

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

Triprotic Acids

Triprotic acids, like citric acid, can donate three protons (H+) per molecule during a reaction. This characteristic affects their titration behavior, as each proton can react with a base, such as KOH, in a stepwise manner. Understanding the nature of triprotic acids is essential for calculating the total moles of acid present in a solution based on the volume and concentration of the titrant used.
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Titration

Titration is a quantitative analytical technique used to determine the concentration of a solute in a solution. In this case, KOH is used to neutralize citric acid, allowing for the calculation of the acid's molarity based on the volume of titrant required to reach the endpoint. The stoichiometry of the reaction between the acid and base is crucial for accurate calculations.
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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 (M). To find the molarity of the citric acid solution, one must calculate the total moles of citric acid neutralized by the KOH and then divide by the volume of the acid solution in liters. This concept is fundamental in stoichiometric calculations in chemistry.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question

Hard water contains Ca2+, Mg2+, and Fe2+, which interfere with the action of soap and leave an insoluble coating on the insides of containers and pipes when heated. Water softeners replace these ions with Na+. Keep in mind that charge balance must be maintained. (a) If 1500 L of hard water contains 0.020 M Ca2+ and 0.0040 M Mg2+, how many moles of Na+ are needed to replace these ions?

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Textbook Question

Hard water contains Ca2+, Mg2+, and Fe2+, which interfere with the action of soap and leave an insoluble coating on the insides of containers and pipes when heated. Water softeners replace these ions with Na+. Keep in mind that charge balance must be maintained. (b) If the sodium is added to the water softener in the form of NaCl, how many grams of sodium chloride are needed?

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Textbook Question

Citric acid, C6H8O7, is a triprotic acid. It occurs naturally in citrus fruits like lemons and has applications in food flavouring and preservatives. A solution containing an unknown concentration of the acid is titrated with KOH. It requires 23.20 mL of 0.500 M KOH solution to titrate all three acidic protons in 100.00 mL of the citric acid solution. Write a balanced net ionic equation for the neutralization reaction.

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Textbook Question
(c) If 18.65 mL of the caesium hydroxide solution was needed to neutralize a 42.3 mL aliquot of the hydroiodic acid solution, what is the concentration (molarity) of the acid?
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Textbook Question

Suppose you have 3.00 g of powdered zinc metal, 3.00g of powdered silver metal and 500.0 mL of a 0.2 M copper(II) nitrate solution. (a) Which metal will react with the copper(II) nitrate solution?

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Textbook Question

Suppose you have 3.00 g of powdered zinc metal, 3.00g of powdered silver metal and 500.0 mL of a 0.2 M copper(II) nitrate solution. (d) What is the molarity of Cu2+ ions in the resulting solution?

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