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Ch.18 - Aqueous Ionic Equilibrium
Chapter 18, Problem 133

A 25.0-mL volume of a sodium hydroxide solution requires 19.6 mL of a 0.189 M hydrochloric acid for neutralization. A 10.0-mL volume of a phosphoric acid solution requires 34.9 mL of the sodium hydroxide solution for complete neutralization. Calculate the concentration of the phosphoric acid solution.

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Key Concepts

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

Neutralization Reaction

A neutralization reaction occurs when an acid reacts with a base to produce water and a salt. In this context, sodium hydroxide (NaOH) acts as the base, while hydrochloric acid (HCl) and phosphoric acid (H3PO4) are the acids. Understanding the stoichiometry of these reactions is crucial for calculating concentrations, as the moles of acid must equal the moles of base at the equivalence point.
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Molarity (Concentration)

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). In this problem, the molarity of hydrochloric acid is given, and it is used to determine the moles of HCl that react with NaOH, which is essential for finding the concentration of the phosphoric acid solution.
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Stoichiometry

Stoichiometry involves the calculation of reactants and products in chemical reactions based on balanced equations. It allows us to relate the volumes and concentrations of the reactants used in the neutralization reactions. By applying stoichiometric principles, we can determine the moles of phosphoric acid from the moles of sodium hydroxide used, leading to the calculation of its concentration.
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