IChO 1974 · Theory problem 5

Mixture of two metals: hydrides, hydroxides and a precipitate

A mixture of two metals found in Mendelejev's periodical table in different groups, reacted with 56 cm³ of hydrogen on heating (measured at STP conditions) to produce two ionic compounds. These compounds were allowed to react with 270 mg of water but only one third of water reacted. A basic solution was formed in which the content of hydroxides was 30 % by mass and at the same time deposited a precipitate with a mass that represented 59.05 % of a total mass of the products formed by the reaction. After filtration the precipitate was heated and its mass decreased by 27 mg.

When a stoichiometric amount of ammonium carbonate was added to the basic solution, a slightly soluble precipitate was obtained, at the same time ammonia was liberated and the content of hydroxides in the solution decreased to 16.81 %.

Problem:

5.1 Determine the metals in the starting mixture and their masses.

Official English text of the problem.

Answers

  • 5.1 The intended composition is sodium, \(\ce{Na}\): approximately \(23\,\mathrm{mg}\), and calcium, \(\ce{Ca}\): approximately \(80\,\mathrm{mg}\).

Solution

5.1

Use the conventional STP molar volume \(22\,400\,\mathrm{cm^3\,mol^{-1}}\) and rounded molar masses.

The formation of ionic hydrides suggests an alkali metal \(A\) and an alkaline-earth metal \(B\), forming \(\ce{AH}\) and \(\ce{BH2}\). Their hydrolysis produces the corresponding hydroxides and hydrogen.

The hydrogen consumed in hydride formation is

\[ n(\ce{H2})=\frac{56}{22\,400} =2.50\times10^{-3}\,\mathrm{mol}. \]

Thus the hydrides contain \(5.00\,\mathrm{mmol}\) of hydride hydrogen. Each mole of hydride hydrogen consumes one mole of water during hydrolysis, agreeing with

\[ m(\ce{H2O})_{\mathrm{reacted}}=\frac{270}{3}=90\,\mathrm{mg}, \qquad n(\ce{H2O})_{\mathrm{reacted}}=\frac{90}{18} =5.00\,\mathrm{mmol}. \]

The unreacted water therefore has mass

\[ 270-90=180\,\mathrm{mg}. \]

The hydroxides formed contain a total of \(5.00\,\mathrm{mmol}\) of hydroxide groups.

Identification of the precipitated hydroxide.

Let \(S\) be the mass of dissolved hydroxides. The initial solution contains 30% hydroxides by mass:

\[ \frac{S}{S+180}=0.30, \qquad S=77.14\,\mathrm{mg}\simeq77\,\mathrm{mg}. \]

Interpret the stated 59.05% as the precipitate’s fraction of the combined hydroxide products. If its mass is \(P\),

\[ \frac{P}{P+S}=0.5905, \qquad P=\frac{0.5905}{0.4095}(77.14) =111.24\,\mathrm{mg}. \]

An alkaline-earth hydroxide loses one mole of water per mole on heating to its oxide. Consequently,

\[ n\bigl(\ce{B(OH)2}\bigr)_{\mathrm{precipitated}} =\frac{27\,\mathrm{mg}}{18\,\mathrm{mg\,mmol^{-1}}} =1.50\,\mathrm{mmol}. \]

Its inferred molar mass is

\[ M\bigl(\ce{B(OH)2}\bigr) =\frac{111.24\,\mathrm{mg}}{1.50\,\mathrm{mmol}} =74.16\,\mathrm{g\,mol^{-1}}, \]

so

\[ M(B)\simeq74.16-2(17)=40.16\,\mathrm{g\,mol^{-1}}. \]

This identifies calcium. The thermal reaction is

\[ \ce{Ca(OH)2(s) ->[\Delta] CaO(s) + H2O(g)}. \]

The precipitate contains \(2(1.50)=3.00\,\mathrm{mmol}\) of hydroxide groups, leaving \(2.00\,\mathrm{mmol}\) in solution.

Identification of the dissolved alkali metal and determination of the amounts.

Write the dissolved amounts as \(x\,\mathrm{mmol}\) of \(\ce{Ca(OH)2}\) and \(y\,\mathrm{mmol}\) of \(\ce{AOH}\). Then

\[ y+2x=2.00. \]

The carbonate addition is interpreted as stoichiometric for the dissolved calcium:

\[ \ce{Ca(OH)2(aq) + (NH4)2CO3(aq) -> CaCO3(s) + 2NH3(g) + 2H2O(l)}. \]

For \(x\,\mathrm{mmol}\) of calcium hydroxide, this removes approximately \(74x\,\mathrm{mg}\) of dissolved hydroxide and produces \(36x\,\mathrm{mg}\) of water. The remaining hydroxide is \(\ce{AOH}\).

Using \(S\simeq77\,\mathrm{mg}\), the final mass fraction gives

\[ \frac{77-74x} {180+36x+77-74x} \simeq0.1681. \]

Therefore,

\[ x\simeq0.500, \qquad y=2.00-2x\simeq1.00. \]

The remaining alkali hydroxide has mass

\[ m(\ce{AOH})\simeq77-74(0.500)=40.0\,\mathrm{mg}. \]

Hence

\[ M(\ce{AOH})\simeq \frac{40.0\,\mathrm{mg}}{1.00\,\mathrm{mmol}} =40.0\,\mathrm{g\,mol^{-1}}, \]

and

\[ M(A)\simeq40.0-17.0=23.0\,\mathrm{g\,mol^{-1}}. \]

Thus \(A\) is sodium.

The original metal amounts are consequently

\[ n(\ce{Na})\simeq1.00\,\mathrm{mmol}, \qquad n(\ce{Ca})\simeq1.50+0.500=2.00\,\mathrm{mmol}. \]

Their masses are

\[ \boxed{m(\ce{Na})\simeq23\,\mathrm{mg}}, \qquad \boxed{m(\ce{Ca})\simeq80\,\mathrm{mg}}. \]

Reaction equations and numerical checks.

Hydride formation:

\[ \ce{2Na(s) + H2(g) ->[\Delta] 2NaH(s)} \]

\[ \ce{Ca(s) + H2(g) ->[\Delta] CaH2(s)}. \]

Hydrolysis:

\[ \ce{NaH(s) + H2O(l) -> NaOH(aq) + H2(g)} \]

\[ \ce{CaH2(s) + 2H2O(l) -> Ca(OH)2 + 2H2(g)}. \]

The proposed amounts consume

\[ n(\ce{H2})=\frac{1.00}{2}+2.00 =2.50\,\mathrm{mmol}, \]

corresponding to \(56\,\mathrm{cm^3}\), and

\[ n(\ce{H2O})=1.00+2(2.00) =5.00\,\mathrm{mmol}=90\,\mathrm{mg}. \]

The first filtrate contains approximately \(40\,\mathrm{mg}\) of sodium hydroxide, \(37\,\mathrm{mg}\) of calcium hydroxide and \(180\,\mathrm{mg}\) of water:

\[ w_{\mathrm{hydroxides}} =\frac{40+37}{40+37+180}\times100\% =29.96\%\simeq30\%. \]

The \(1.50\,\mathrm{mmol}\) calcium hydroxide precipitate weighs approximately \(111\,\mathrm{mg}\) and loses \(27\,\mathrm{mg}\) of water on heating.

Carbonate precipitation removes the dissolved calcium hydroxide and generates \(18\,\mathrm{mg}\) of water. The final solution therefore contains \(40\,\mathrm{mg}\) of sodium hydroxide and \(198\,\mathrm{mg}\) of water:

\[ w_{\mathrm{hydroxides,final}} =\frac{40}{40+198}\times100\% =16.8067\%\simeq16.81\%. \]

The molecular and ionic substances used above have the following SMILES. For ionic compounds, these specify the constituent ions, not the crystal lattice or aqueous hydration.

Substance Formula SMILES
Hydrogen \(\ce{H2}\) [H][H]
Water \(\ce{H2O}\) O
Sodium hydride \(\ce{NaH}\) [Na+].[H-]
Calcium hydride \(\ce{CaH2}\) [Ca+2].[H-].[H-]
Sodium hydroxide \(\ce{NaOH}\) [Na+].[OH-]
Calcium hydroxide \(\ce{Ca(OH)2}\) [Ca+2].[OH-].[OH-]
Calcium oxide \(\ce{CaO}\) [Ca+2].[O-2]
Ammonium carbonate \(\ce{(NH4)2CO3}\) [NH4+].[NH4+].[O-]C(=O)[O-]
Calcium carbonate \(\ce{CaCO3}\) [Ca+2].[O-]C(=O)[O-]
Ammonia \(\ce{NH3}\) N

The solution was checked against the official solution.