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Ch.13 - Solutions
Chapter 13, Problem 121

A solution contains 10.05 g of unknown compound dissolved in 50.0 mL of water. (Assume a density of 1.00 g/mL for water.) The freezing point of the solution is -3.16 °C. The mass percent composition of the compound is 60.97% C, 11.94% H, and the rest is O. What is the molecular formula of the compound?

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Key Concepts

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

Freezing Point Depression

Freezing point depression is a colligative property that describes how the freezing point of a solvent decreases when a solute is added. The extent of this depression depends on the number of solute particles in the solution, not their identity. The formula used to calculate the change in freezing point is ΔTf = i * Kf * m, where i is the van 't Hoff factor, Kf is the freezing point depression constant, and m is the molality of the solution.
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Molar Mass and Molecular Formula

The molar mass of a compound is the mass of one mole of its entities, typically expressed in grams per mole. To determine the molecular formula, one must first find the empirical formula based on the mass percent composition of the elements. The empirical formula is then multiplied by a whole number to match the molar mass of the compound, allowing for the determination of the actual molecular formula.
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Mass Percent Composition

Mass percent composition is a way to express the percentage by mass of each element in a compound. It is calculated by dividing the mass of each element in one mole of the compound by the total molar mass of the compound and multiplying by 100. This information is crucial for determining the empirical formula and ultimately the molecular formula of the unknown compound in the question.
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Related Practice
Open Question
Use the result of the previous problem to calculate the mole fraction of chloroform in the vapor above a solution obtained by three successive separations and condensations of the vapors above the original solution of carbon tetrachloride and chloroform. Show how this result explains the use of distillation as a separation method.
Open Question
A solution of 49.0% H2SO4 by mass has a density of 1.39 g/cm³ at 293 K. A 25.0-cm³ sample of this solution is mixed with enough water to increase the volume of the solution to 99.8 cm³. Find the molarity of sulfuric acid in this solution.
Textbook Question

Find the mass of urea (CH4N2O) needed to prepare 50.0 g of a solution in water in which the mole fraction of urea is 0.0770.

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Textbook Question

The osmotic pressure of a solution containing 2.10 g of an unknown compound dissolved in 175.0 mL of solution at 25 °C is 1.93 atm. The combustion of 24.02 g of the unknown compound produced 28.16 g CO2 and 8.64 g H2O. What is the molecular formula of the compound (which contains only carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen)?

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Textbook Question

A 100.0-mL aqueous sodium chloride solution is 13.5% NaCl by mass and has a density of 1.12 g/mL. What would you add (solute or solvent) and what mass of it to make the boiling point of the solution 104.4 °C? (Use i = 1.8 for NaCl.)

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Textbook Question

A 50.0-mL solution is initially 1.55% MgCl2 by mass and has a density of 1.05 g/mL. What is the freezing point of the solution after you add an additional 1.35 g MgCl2? (Use i = 2.5 for MgCl2.)

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