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Ch.4 - Reactions in Aqueous Solution
Chapter 4, Problem 69a

What is the total molar concentration of ions in each of the following solutions? (a) A 1.250 M solution of CH3OH

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Identify the compound: CH3OH is methanol, which is a molecular compound and does not dissociate into ions in solution.
Recognize that since CH3OH does not dissociate, it does not contribute to the molar concentration of ions.
Conclude that the total molar concentration of ions in a solution of CH3OH is 0 M, as it remains as neutral molecules in solution.
Understand that only ionic compounds dissociate into ions in solution, contributing to the ionic concentration.
Reaffirm that molecular compounds like CH3OH do not increase the ionic concentration in a solution.

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Key Concepts

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

Molarity

Molarity (M) is a measure of concentration defined as the number of moles of solute per liter of solution. It is a crucial concept in chemistry for quantifying how much of a substance is present in a given volume of solution. In this case, a 1.250 M solution indicates that there are 1.250 moles of solute (CH3OH) in every liter of the solution.
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Dissociation of Solutes

Dissociation refers to the process by which a compound separates into its constituent ions or molecules when dissolved in a solvent. For ionic compounds, this results in the formation of free ions in solution, which contribute to the total molar concentration of ions. However, in the case of CH3OH (methanol), it does not dissociate into ions, as it is a molecular compound.
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Total Molar Concentration of Ions

The total molar concentration of ions in a solution is the sum of the concentrations of all individual ions present. For ionic compounds, this is straightforward as they dissociate into multiple ions. In contrast, for non-ionic compounds like CH3OH, the total molar concentration of ions is simply zero, as it does not produce any ions in solution.
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