IChO 1975 · Theory problem 1

Crystallisation of alum on evaporation

How many grams of alum \(\ce{KAl(SO4)2 . 12H2O}\) are crystallised out from 320 g \(\ce{KAl(SO4)2}\) solution saturated at 20 °C if 160 g of water are evaporated from the solution at 20 °C?

(The solution saturated at 20 °C contains 5.50 % of \(\ce{KAl(SO4)2}\) by mass.)

Relative atomic masses:

\(A_\mathrm{r}(\ce{K}) = 39.10;\quad A_\mathrm{r}(\ce{Al}) = 26.98;\quad A_\mathrm{r}(\ce{S}) = 32.06;\quad A_\mathrm{r}(\ce{O}) = 16.0;\quad A_\mathrm{r}(\ce{H}) = 1.01\)

Official English text of the problem.

Answers

  1. \(\boxed{18.0\ \mathrm{g}}\) of potassium alum, \(\ce{KAl(SO4)2 . 12H2O}\), crystallises out.

Solution

1. Potassium alum is potassium aluminium sulfate dodecahydrate. Its stoichiometric, disconnected SMILES is [K+].[Al+3].[O-]S(=O)(=O)[O-].[O-]S(=O)(=O)[O-].O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O. This represents its composition; it does not specify the crystal lattice or coordination geometry. Water, \(\ce{H2O}\), has SMILES O.

The molar masses calculated from the supplied atomic masses are

\[ \begin{aligned} M\bigl(\ce{KAl(SO4)2}\bigr) &=39.10+26.98+2(32.06+4\times16.0)\\ &=258.20\ \mathrm{g\,mol^{-1}},\\ M\bigl(\ce{H2O}\bigr) &=2(1.01)+16.0=18.02\ \mathrm{g\,mol^{-1}},\\ M\bigl(\ce{KAl(SO4)2 . 12H2O}\bigr) &=258.20+12(18.02)\\ &=474.44\ \mathrm{g\,mol^{-1}}. \end{aligned} \]

Thus the mass fraction of anhydrous \(\ce{KAl(SO4)2}\) in the crystals is

\[ f=\frac{258.20}{474.44}. \]

Initially, the solution contains

\[ m_0\bigl(\ce{KAl(SO4)2}\bigr) =0.0550(320\ \mathrm{g})=17.60\ \mathrm{g}. \]

Let \(x\) be the mass of hydrated crystals formed. Evaporation removes \(160\ \mathrm{g}\) of water, and crystallisation removes \(x\) from the liquid, so the remaining solution has mass

\[ m_{\text{solution}}=320\ \mathrm{g}-160\ \mathrm{g}-x =160\ \mathrm{g}-x. \]

The crystals remove \(fx\) of anhydrous salt, together with their water of crystallisation. Since the remaining solution is saturated at 20 °C, its salt mass fraction is still \(0.0550\). Therefore,

\[ 17.60\ \mathrm{g}-\frac{258.20}{474.44}x =0.0550(160\ \mathrm{g}-x). \]

Solving,

\[ x= \frac{17.60\ \mathrm{g}-0.0550(160\ \mathrm{g})} {\dfrac{258.20}{474.44}-0.0550} =17.99\ \mathrm{g} \approx\boxed{18.0\ \mathrm{g}}. \]

The solution was checked against the official solution.