IChO 1974 · Theory problem 3

Acid-base reactions of 0.2 M solutions A-H

The following 0.2 molar solutions are available:

A: \(\ce{HCl}\) B: \(\ce{HSO4-}\) C: \(\ce{CH3COOH}\) D: \(\ce{NaOH}\)
E: \(\ce{CO3^2-}\) F: \(\ce{CH3COONa}\) G: \(\ce{HPO4^2-}\) H: \(\ce{H2SO4}\)

Problems:

  1. Determine the concentration of \(\ce{H3O+}\) ions in solution C.
  2. Determine pH value in solution A.
  3. Write an equation for the chemical reaction that takes place when substances B and E are allowed to react and mark conjugate acid-base pairs.
  4. Compare acid-base properties of substances A, B, and C and determine which one will show the most basic properties. Explain your decision.
  5. Write a chemical equation for the reaction between substances B and G, and explain the shift of equilibrium.
  6. Write a chemical equation for the reaction between substances C and E, and explain the shift of equilibrium.
  7. Calculate the volume of D solution which is required to neutralise 20.0 \(\mathrm{cm^3}\) of H solution.
  8. What would be the volume of hydrogen chloride being present in one litre of A solution if it were in gaseous state at a pressure of 202.65 kPa and a temperature of 37 °C?

Ionisation constants:

Figure 1

Relative atomic masses:

\(A_{\mathrm r}(\ce{Na})=23;\quad A_{\mathrm r}(\ce{S})=32;\quad A_{\mathrm r}(\ce{O})=16.\)

Official English text of the problem.

Answers

  1. \(\boxed{[\ce{H3O+}]=1.9\times10^{-3}\ \mathrm{mol\,dm^{-3}}}\).
  2. \(\boxed{\mathrm{pH}=0.70}\).
  3. \(\ce{HSO4- + CO3^2- <=> SO4^2- + HCO3-}\). Conjugate pairs: \(\ce{HSO4-}/\ce{SO4^2-}\) and \(\ce{HCO3-}/\ce{CO3^2-}\).
  4. Acid strength: \(\boxed{A>B>C}\). C has the highest pH and is least acidic; B is amphiprotic. These distinguish two possible readings of “most basic properties.”
  5. \(\ce{HSO4- + HPO4^2- <=> SO4^2- + H2PO4-}\), favouring the products. The constant needed to calculate its equilibrium constant is not supplied.
  6. \(\ce{CH3COOH + CO3^2- <=> CH3COO- + HCO3-}\), with \(\boxed{K=3.8\times10^5}\), strongly favouring the products. With sufficient acid, further reaction releases \(\ce{CO2}\).
  7. \(\boxed{V_D=40.0\ \mathrm{cm^3}}\).
  8. \(\boxed{V\approx2.54\ \mathrm{dm^3}}\), treating the gas as ideal.

Solution

The species names and SMILES used in the answers and calculations are collected below. SMILES represent connectivity and formal charges; they do not show aqueous solvation, resonance delocalisation, or the direction of proton transfer. Dots separate ionic components of salts.

Species Name SMILES
\(\ce{HCl}\) Hydrogen chloride Cl
\(\ce{HSO4-}\) Hydrogen sulfate ion O=S(=O)(O)[O-]
\(\ce{CH3COOH}\) Acetic acid CC(=O)O
\(\ce{NaOH}\) Sodium hydroxide [Na+].[OH-]
\(\ce{CO3^2-}\) Carbonate ion O=C([O-])[O-]
\(\ce{CH3COONa}\) Sodium acetate CC(=O)[O-].[Na+]
\(\ce{HPO4^2-}\) Hydrogen phosphate ion O=P(O)([O-])[O-]
\(\ce{H2SO4}\) Sulfuric acid O=S(=O)(O)O
\(\ce{H2O}\) Water O
\(\ce{H3O+}\) Hydronium ion [OH3+]
\(\ce{Cl-}\) Chloride ion [Cl-]
\(\ce{CH3COO-}\) Acetate ion CC(=O)[O-]
\(\ce{SO4^2-}\) Sulfate ion O=S(=O)([O-])[O-]
\(\ce{HCO3-}\) Hydrogen carbonate ion O=C(O)[O-]
\(\ce{H2CO3}\) Carbonic acid O=C(O)O
\(\ce{CO2}\) Carbon dioxide O=C=O
\(\ce{H2PO4-}\) Dihydrogen phosphate ion O=P(O)(O)[O-]
\(\ce{PO4^3-}\) Phosphate ion O=P([O-])([O-])[O-]
\(\ce{Na2SO4}\) Sodium sulfate [Na+].[Na+].[O-]S(=O)(=O)[O-]

The calculations use the usual concentration approximation for aqueous equilibria.

1. Hydronium concentration in C

Acetic acid dissociates according to

\[ \ce{CH3COOH + H2O <=> CH3COO- + H3O+}. \]

Let \(c_0=0.2\ \mathrm{mol\,dm^{-3}}\) and let \(x=[\ce{H3O+}]\). Neglecting the very small contribution from water,

\[ [\ce{CH3COO-}]=x,\qquad [\ce{CH3COOH}]=c_0-x. \]

Thus

\[ K_a=\frac{x^2}{c_0-x}=1.8\times10^{-5}. \]

Solving the quadratic gives

\[ x=\frac{-K_a+\sqrt{K_a^2+4K_ac_0}}{2} =1.8884\times10^{-3}\ \mathrm{mol\,dm^{-3}}. \]

Therefore,

\[ \boxed{[\ce{H3O+}]\approx1.9\times10^{-3}\ \mathrm{mol\,dm^{-3}}}. \]

The approximation \(x\approx\sqrt{K_ac_0}\) gives the same rounded result. Only \(0.94\%\) of the acid dissociates, so that approximation is justified.

2. pH of A

Hydrogen chloride is a strong acid and is essentially completely ionised:

\[ \ce{HCl + H2O -> H3O+ + Cl-}. \]

Consequently,

\[ [\ce{H3O+}]=0.2\ \mathrm{mol\,dm^{-3}}, \]

and

\[ \boxed{\mathrm{pH}=-\log_{10}(0.2)=0.699\approx0.70}. \]

3. Reaction between B and E; conjugate pairs

Hydrogen sulfate donates a proton to carbonate:

\[ \boxed{\ce{HSO4- + CO3^2- <=> SO4^2- + HCO3-}}. \]

The conjugate acid–base pairs, written acid first, are

\[ \underbrace{\ce{HSO4-}/\ce{SO4^2-}}_{\text{proton donor and its conjugate base}}, \qquad \underbrace{\ce{HCO3-}/\ce{CO3^2-}}_{\text{conjugate acid and proton acceptor}}. \]

The equilibrium constant for this proton transfer is

\[ K=\frac{K_a(\ce{HSO4-})}{K_a(\ce{HCO3-})} =\frac{1.7\times10^{-2}}{4.7\times10^{-11}} =3.6\times10^8. \]

Hence the reaction strongly favours the products.

If at least two equivalents of hydrogen sulfate are supplied per carbonate ion, a second proton transfer is possible:

\[ \ce{HSO4- + HCO3- <=> SO4^2- + H2CO3}, \]

followed by

\[ \ce{H2CO3 <=> CO2 + H2O}. \]

The additional conjugate pair is \(\ce{H2CO3}/\ce{HCO3-}\). With carbon dioxide escaping, the overall reaction is

\[ \ce{2HSO4- + CO3^2- -> 2SO4^2- + CO2 ^ + H2O}. \]

4. Acid–base properties of A, B, and C

Their acid strengths decrease in the order

\[ \boxed{\ce{HCl}>\ce{HSO4-}>\ce{CH3COOH}}. \]

Hydrogen chloride is a strong acid. Hydrogen sulfate has \(K_a=1.7\times10^{-2}\), whereas acetic acid has the much smaller \(K_a=1.8\times10^{-5}\).

For equal analytical concentrations, their approximate hydronium concentrations and pH values are:

Solution \([\ce{H3O+}]\), \(\mathrm{mol\,dm^{-3}}\) pH
A \(0.200\) \(0.70\)
B \(0.0504\) \(1.30\)
C \(0.00189\) \(2.72\)

For B, the value follows from \(x^2/(0.2-x)=1.7\times10^{-2}\).

Thus, if “most basic” means the highest pH among the three solutions, the answer is C. All three solutions are nevertheless acidic.

There is a separate distinction: B is amphiprotic in the usual aqueous acid–base classification. It can donate a proton,

\[ \ce{HSO4- + H2O <=> SO4^2- + H3O+}, \]

or accept a proton in a sufficiently acidic medium,

\[ \ce{HSO4- + H3O+ <=> H2SO4 + H2O}. \]

Consequently, B is the answer if the intended identification is the species displaying both acid and base behaviour. Amphiprotic character alone does not establish a ranking of intrinsic proton-acceptor basicity.

5. Reaction between B and G

Hydrogen sulfate acts as the proton donor and hydrogen phosphate as the proton acceptor:

\[ \boxed{\ce{HSO4- + HPO4^2- <=> SO4^2- + H2PO4-}}. \]

The equilibrium favours the products because dihydrogen phosphate is a weaker acid than hydrogen sulfate: proton transfer produces the weaker acid–base pair.

The equilibrium constant would be

\[ K= \frac{[\ce{SO4^2-}][\ce{H2PO4-}]} {[\ce{HSO4-}][\ce{HPO4^2-}]} = \frac{K_a(\ce{HSO4-})}{K_a(\ce{H2PO4-})}. \]

However, \(K_a(\ce{H2PO4-})\) is not supplied. The listed value \(4.4\times10^{-13}\) describes

\[ \ce{HPO4^2- + H2O <=> PO4^3- + H3O+}, \]

and cannot be used as the denominator for the requested reaction. Thus the direction stated above uses the qualitative acid-strength relationship; a numerical equilibrium constant cannot be calculated from the supplied table alone.

6. Reaction between C and E

Acetic acid transfers a proton to carbonate:

\[ \boxed{\ce{CH3COOH + CO3^2- <=> CH3COO- + HCO3-}}. \]

Its equilibrium constant is

\[ K=\frac{K_a(\ce{CH3COOH})}{K_a(\ce{HCO3-})} =\frac{1.8\times10^{-5}}{4.7\times10^{-11}} =\boxed{3.8\times10^5}. \]

Therefore, the equilibrium lies strongly to the right. Acetic acid is much stronger than hydrogen carbonate as a proton donor.

With additional acetic acid, hydrogen carbonate also accepts a proton:

\[ \ce{CH3COOH + HCO3- <=> CH3COO- + H2CO3}. \]

For this step,

\[ K=\frac{1.8\times10^{-5}}{4.4\times10^{-7}} \approx41, \]

so it also favours the products. Carbon dioxide formation and escape drive the reaction further:

\[ \ce{H2CO3 <=> CO2 + H2O}. \]

With two acid equivalents per carbonate ion, the overall reaction is

\[ \boxed{\ce{2CH3COOH + CO3^2- -> 2CH3COO- + CO2 ^ + H2O}}. \]

7. Volume of D needed to neutralise H

Complete neutralisation requires two moles of sodium hydroxide per mole of sulfuric acid:

\[ \ce{H2SO4 + 2NaOH -> Na2SO4 + 2H2O}. \]

The amount of sulfuric acid is

\[ n(\ce{H2SO4}) =0.2\ \mathrm{mol\,dm^{-3}}\times20.0\times10^{-3}\ \mathrm{dm^3} =4.00\times10^{-3}\ \mathrm{mol}. \]

Therefore,

\[ n(\ce{NaOH})=8.00\times10^{-3}\ \mathrm{mol}, \]

and

\[ V_D= \frac{8.00\times10^{-3}\ \mathrm{mol}} {0.2\ \mathrm{mol\,dm^{-3}}} =0.0400\ \mathrm{dm^3}. \]

Thus,

\[ \boxed{V_D=40.0\ \mathrm{cm^3}}. \]

The common molarity cancels, so the required base volume is exactly twice the acid volume under the stated conditions.

8. Volume of gaseous hydrogen chloride

One litre of solution A contains the equivalent of

\[ n(\ce{HCl}) =0.2\ \mathrm{mol\,dm^{-3}}\times1\ \mathrm{dm^3} =0.2\ \mathrm{mol}. \]

Using the ideal-gas equation,

\[ V=\frac{nRT}{p}, \]

with

\[ T=37+273.15=310.15\ \mathrm K,\qquad R=8.314\ \mathrm{kPa\,dm^3\,mol^{-1}\,K^{-1}}, \]

gives

\[ V= \frac{(0.2)(8.314)(310.15)}{202.65}\ \mathrm{dm^3} =2.5449\ \mathrm{dm^3}. \]

Hence,

\[ \boxed{V\approx2.54\ \mathrm{dm^3}}, \]

or about \(2.5\ \mathrm L\).

The solution was checked against the official solution.