April 19, 2024, 08:11:20 PM
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Topic: Solubility product, ionic strength and activity coefficients  (Read 2727 times)

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Offline sun725

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The solubility of Ca(OH)2 in water is  1.11*10-2 M at 25 C.
I'm asked what's the Lc (concentration solubility product) for Ca(OH)2 in water at 25 C? Also I have to find the ionic strength and calculate via the Debye-Hückels limiting law the activity coefficients for Ca2+ in the solution at 25 C.

Ca(OH)2(s)   ::equil:: Ca2+ + 2OH-

[Ca2+] = 1.11 x 10^-2 ; [OH-] = 2(1.11 X 10-2) = 2.22 x 10-2

Ksp = [Ca2+][OH-]2 = 1.11 x 10-2(2.22 x 10-2)2 = 5.47 x 10-6

Ionic Strength = I = 1/2Σ ci zi2

Where ci = concentration of ions; zi = charge of the ions:

Ionic strength = ½ [( 1.11 x 10-2)22 + 2.22 x 10-2)12)
I = ½ [ 4.44 x 10-2 + 2.22 x 10-2)]
I = ½(6.66 x 10-2) =
Ionic strength = 0.0333

And the activity coefficients:
log YHA =-0.509Z*(-2)2*sqrt 0.0333
log YHA =0.371

I really want to know if I have calculated this correctly or if I have missed something.

Offline mjc123

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Re: Solubility product, ionic strength and activity coefficients
« Reply #1 on: June 07, 2017, 08:20:00 AM »
The values of Ksp and I look OK, but these quantities have units - what are they? A number is a wrong answer.

The activity coefficient looks wrong. I have
log γ± [what's HA?] = -0.509*|z+z-|*sqrt(I)
So your number is wrong, and the sign is wrong (γ is not going to be > 1). And you are asked for the activity coefficient, so convert log γ to γ.

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