IChO 1979 · Theory problem 6

Identification of a metal M dissolved in dilute nitric acid

130 g of an unknown metal M were treated with excess of a dilute nitric acid. Excess hot alkaline solution was added to the resulting solution and 1.12 dm³ of a gas evolved (normal conditions).

What metal M was dissolved in the nitric solution?

Official English text of the problem.

Answers

  • Problem 6: The printed data do not permit a unique identification. Zinc, \(\ce{Zn}\), is a plausible intended answer if “130 g” should read “13.0 g,” or if “1.12 dm³” should read “11.2 dm³,” under the usual assumption that ammonium is the sole nitrate reduction product.

Solution

The expected gas is ammonia, \(\ce{NH3}\), SMILES N. During dissolution, the metal can reduce nitric acid, \(\ce{HNO3}\), SMILES O=[N+]([O-])O, to ammonium ions, \(\ce{NH4+}\), SMILES [NH4+]. Hot alkali then liberates ammonia:

\[ \ce{NH4+ + OH- -> NH3(g) + H2O}. \]

Here \(\ce{OH-}\) is the hydroxide ion, SMILES [OH-], and \(\ce{H2O}\) is water, SMILES O.

Using the standard molar gas volume at normal conditions,

\[ n(\ce{NH3}) =\frac{1.12\ \mathrm{dm^3}} {22.4\ \mathrm{dm^3\,mol^{-1}}} =0.0500\ \mathrm{mol}. \]

Thus the solution contained \(0.0500\ \mathrm{mol}\) of ammonium ions.

Reduction of nitrate to ammonium requires eight electrons per nitrogen atom:

\[ \ce{NO3- + 10H+ + 8e- -> NH4+ + 3H2O}. \]

The nitrate ion has SMILES [O-][N+](=O)[O-]; the hydrogen ion has SMILES [H+].

If ammonium is the only nitrate reduction product, the metal supplied

\[ n(e^-)=8(0.0500)=0.400\ \mathrm{mol}. \]

Let \(z\) be the metal’s oxidation state in the resulting solution and \(M_{\mathrm m}\) its molar mass. Then

\[ z\frac{130\ \mathrm g}{M_{\mathrm m}}=0.400\ \mathrm{mol}, \]

so

\[ \boxed{M_{\mathrm m}=325z\ \mathrm{g\,mol^{-1}}}. \]

Even \(z=1\) requires a molar mass of \(325\ \mathrm{g\,mol^{-1}}\); \(z=2\) requires \(650\ \mathrm{g\,mol^{-1}}\). No known metal fits this result.

If other nitrate reduction products formed during dissolution, the measured ammonia accounts for only part of the electrons transferred. Their unreported amounts then prevent determination of the metal’s molar mass.

For the plausible correction 13.0 g, the calculation instead gives

\[ M_{\mathrm m}=32.5z\ \mathrm{g\,mol^{-1}}. \]

Taking \(z=2\) gives \(65.0\ \mathrm{g\,mol^{-1}}\), identifying zinc. Its balanced dissolution equation, written ionically, is

\[ \ce{4Zn + NO3- + 10H+ -> 4Zn^2+ + NH4+ + 3H2O}, \]

where the zinc(II) ion has SMILES [Zn+2]. Consequently,

\[ n(\ce{NH3}) =\frac14\,n(\ce{Zn}) =\frac14\frac{13.0\ \mathrm g}{65.0\ \mathrm{g\,mol^{-1}}} =0.0500\ \mathrm{mol}, \]

which gives the stated \(1.12\ \mathrm{dm^3}\). With 130 g of zinc, the same model predicts 11.2 dm³.

The solution was checked against the official solution.