To find the molarity of a solution, such as aqueous potassium dichromate (K2Cr2O7), you need to know the mass of the solute dissolved and the total volume of the solution.
Molarity (M) is defined as the number of moles of solute per liter of solution.
Molarity(M)=volumeofsolution(L)molesofsolute
Here's how to calculate it:
Step 1: Determine the moles of the solute.
- First, find the molar mass of the solute. For potassium dichromate (K2Cr2O7):
- Molar mass of K = 39.10 g/mol
- Molar mass of Cr = 52.00 g/mol
- Molar mass of O = 16.00 g/mol
- Molar mass of K2Cr2O7=(2×39.10)+(2×52.00)+(7×16.00)=78.20+104.00+112.00=294.20 g/mol
- Next, measure the mass of the solute (e.g., in grams) that was dissolved.
- Calculate the moles of solute using the formula:
Molesofsolute=molarmassofsolute(g/mol)massofsolute(g)
For example, if you dissolved 14.71 g of K2Cr2O7:
MolesofK2Cr2O7=294.20g/mol14.71g=0.0500mol
Step 2: Determine the volume of the solution in liters.
- Measure the total volume of the solution (not just the solvent) in milliliters (mL) or cubic centimeters (cm3).
- Convert the volume to liters (L) by dividing by 1000:
Volume(L)=1000mL/LVolume(mL)
For example, if the solution was made up to a total volume of 250 mL:
Volume(L)=1000mL/L250mL=0.250L
Step 3: Calculate the molarity.
- Divide the moles of solute (from Step 1) by the volume of the solution in liters (from Step 2):
Molarity(M)=volumeofsolution(L)molesofsolute
Using the example values:
Molarity=0.250L0.0500mol=0.200mol/L
So, the molarity of the potassium dichromate solution is 0.200M.