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Ch.9 Solutions
Chapter 9, Problem 82

Which of the following solutions will give rise to a greater osmotic pressure at equilibrium: 5.00 g of NaCl in 350.0 mL water or 35.0 g of glucose in 400.0 mL water? For NaCl, MW = 58.5 amu; for glucose, MW = 180 amu.

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1
Calculate the number of moles of NaCl using the formula: \( \text{moles} = \frac{\text{mass (g)}}{\text{molar mass (g/mol)}} \).
Determine the number of moles of glucose using the same formula: \( \text{moles} = \frac{\text{mass (g)}}{\text{molar mass (g/mol)}} \).
Calculate the molarity of each solution by dividing the number of moles by the volume of the solution in liters: \( \text{Molarity (M)} = \frac{\text{moles}}{\text{volume (L)}} \).
For NaCl, account for the dissociation into ions (Na^+ and Cl^-) by multiplying the molarity by the van 't Hoff factor \( i = 2 \).
Compare the osmotic pressures using the formula \( \Pi = iMRT \), where \( R \) is the ideal gas constant and \( T \) is the temperature in Kelvin, assuming both solutions are at the same temperature.

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Key Concepts

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

Osmotic Pressure

Osmotic pressure is the pressure required to prevent the flow of solvent into a solution through a semipermeable membrane. It is directly proportional to the concentration of solute particles in the solution. The formula for osmotic pressure (π) is π = iCRT, where 'i' is the van 't Hoff factor, 'C' is the molar concentration, 'R' is the ideal gas constant, and 'T' is the temperature in Kelvin.
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Van 't Hoff Factor (i)

The van 't Hoff factor (i) indicates the number of particles into which a solute dissociates in solution. For example, NaCl dissociates into two ions (Na+ and Cl-), so its van 't Hoff factor is 2. In contrast, glucose does not dissociate in solution, giving it a van 't Hoff factor of 1. This factor is crucial for calculating osmotic pressure accurately.
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Molarity and Concentration

Molarity is a measure of concentration defined as the number of moles of solute per liter of solution. To compare osmotic pressures, it is essential to calculate the molarity of each solution. The total number of solute particles, influenced by both the mass of solute and its molar mass, determines the osmotic pressure, making concentration a key factor in this analysis.
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