IChO 1982 · Theory problem 7

Solubility of calcium oxalate and protolysis of oxalate

Calcium oxalate, \(\ce{CaC2O4.H2O}\), is a sparingly soluble salt of analytical and physiological importance. The solubility product is \(2.1\times10^{-9}\) at 25 °C. Oxalate ions can protolyse to form hydrogen oxalate ions and oxalic acid. The \(pK_a\) values at 25 °C are 1.23 (\(\ce{H2C2O4}\)) and 4.28 (\(\ce{HC2O4-}\)). At 25 °C the ionic product of water is \(1.0\times10^{-14}\).

7.1 State those expressions for the equilibrium conditions which are of interest for the calculation of the solubility of calcium oxalate monohydrate.

7.2 State the concentration conditions which are necessary for the calculation of the solubility \(s\) (in \(\mathrm{mol\,dm^{-3}}\)) of calcium oxalate in a strong acid of concentration \(C\).

7.3 Calculate the solubility (in \(\mathrm{g\,dm^{-3}}\)) of calcium oxalate monohydrate in a plant cell in which the buffer system regulates the pH to 6.5.

7.4 Calculate the solubility (in \(\mathrm{g\,dm^{-3}}\)) of calcium oxalate monohydrate in hydrochloric acid with a concentration of \(0.010\ \mathrm{mol\,dm^{-3}}\). Give the concentration of hydrogen ions in the solution.

7.5 Calculate the equilibrium concentrations of all other species in solution d).

Official English text of the problem.

Answers

Define \[ h=[\ce{H+}],\qquad x=[\ce{C2O4^2-}],\qquad y=[\ce{HC2O4-}],\qquad z=[\ce{H2C2O4}]. \] Concentrations are expressed in \(\mathrm{mol\,dm^{-3}}\).

  • 7.1 \[ [\ce{Ca^2+}]x=K_{\mathrm{sp}}=2.1\times10^{-9}, \] \[ \frac{hy}{z}=K_{a1}=10^{-1.23},\qquad \frac{hx}{y}=K_{a2}=10^{-4.28},\qquad h[\ce{OH-}]=K_w=1.0\times10^{-14}. \]

  • 7.2 For a fully dissociated monoprotic strong acid: \[ [\ce{Ca^2+}]=s=x+y+z, \] \[ h+2s=C+[\ce{OH-}]+y+2x. \] Equivalently, the proton balance is \[ h+y+2z=C+[\ce{OH-}]. \]

  • 7.3 \[ \boxed{6.7\times10^{-3}\ \mathrm{g\,dm^{-3}}} \] of calcium oxalate monohydrate.

  • 7.4 \[ \boxed{9.6\times10^{-2}\ \mathrm{g\,dm^{-3}}},\qquad \boxed{[\ce{H+}]=9.3\times10^{-3}\ \mathrm{mol\,dm^{-3}}}. \]

  • 7.5 The other equilibrium solute concentrations are:

Species Concentration / \(\mathrm{mol\,dm^{-3}}\)
\(\ce{Ca^2+}\) \(6.6\times10^{-4}\)
\(\ce{C2O4^2-}\) \(3.2\times10^{-6}\)
\(\ce{HC2O4-}\) \(5.6\times10^{-4}\)
\(\ce{H2C2O4}\) \(8.9\times10^{-5}\)
\(\ce{OH-}\) \(1.1\times10^{-12}\)
\(\ce{Cl-}\) \(1.0\times10^{-2}\)

Solution

We use the concentration-based equilibrium model implied by the supplied constants, taking the activities of the pure solid and water as unity. Dissolved calcium is treated as free calcium ions, and dissolved oxalate is distributed among its three protonation states.

The species and their structural representations are:

Name Formula SMILES
Calcium oxalate monohydrate \(\ce{CaC2O4.H2O}\) [Ca+2].[O-]C(=O)C(=O)[O-].O
Calcium ion \(\ce{Ca^2+}\) [Ca+2]
Oxalate ion \(\ce{C2O4^2-}\) [O-]C(=O)C(=O)[O-]
Hydrogen oxalate ion \(\ce{HC2O4-}\) O=C(O)C(=O)[O-]
Oxalic acid \(\ce{H2C2O4}\) O=C(O)C(=O)O
Hydrogen ion (proton) \(\ce{H+}\) [H+]
Hydroxide ion \(\ce{OH-}\) [OH-]
Water \(\ce{H2O}\) O
Hydrogen chloride \(\ce{HCl}\) Cl
Chloride ion \(\ce{Cl-}\) [Cl-]

The hydrate SMILES lists its components; it does not describe the crystal lattice or calcium coordination geometry. In aqueous equations, \(\ce{H+}\) denotes hydrated protons, conventionally represented by hydronium, \(\ce{H3O+}\), [OH3+].

7.1 — Equilibrium conditions

Dissolution of the monohydrate is \[ \ce{CaC2O4.H2O(s) <=> Ca^2+(aq) + C2O4^2-(aq) + H2O(l)}. \] Consequently, \[ K_{\mathrm{sp}}=[\ce{Ca^2+}][\ce{C2O4^2-}] =2.1\times10^{-9}. \]

The two acid-dissociation equilibria are \[ \ce{H2C2O4(aq) <=> H+(aq) + HC2O4-(aq)}, \] \[ K_{a1} =\frac{[\ce{H+}][\ce{HC2O4-}]}{[\ce{H2C2O4}]} =10^{-1.23} =5.8884\times10^{-2}, \] and \[ \ce{HC2O4-(aq) <=> H+(aq) + C2O4^2-(aq)}, \] \[ K_{a2} =\frac{[\ce{H+}][\ce{C2O4^2-}]}{[\ce{HC2O4-}]} =10^{-4.28} =5.2481\times10^{-5}. \]

The reverse directions describe the successive protonation of oxalate.

Finally, water ionization gives \[ \ce{H2O(l) <=> H+(aq) + OH-(aq)}, \qquad K_w=[\ce{H+}][\ce{OH-}]=1.0\times10^{-14}. \]

7.2 — Concentration conditions

Each mole of dissolved salt supplies one mole of calcium and one mole of total oxalate. Thus, in the absence of other calcium or oxalate sources, \[ \boxed{[\ce{Ca^2+}]=s}, \qquad \boxed{x+y+z=s}. \]

For a fully dissociated monoprotic strong acid of analytical concentration \(C\), the spectator anion contributes a negative-charge concentration \(C\). Electroneutrality therefore requires \[ \boxed{h+2s=C+[\ce{OH-}]+y+2x}. \]

Substituting \(s=x+y+z\) gives the equivalent proton balance: \[ \boxed{h+y+2z=C+[\ce{OH-}]}. \] Here, each hydrogen oxalate ion contains one proton taken up by oxalate, and each oxalic acid molecule contains two.

To obtain a useful solubility expression, use the acid equilibria: \[ y=\frac{h}{K_{a2}}x,\qquad z=\frac{h^2}{K_{a1}K_{a2}}x. \] Define \[ D(h)=1+\frac{h}{K_{a2}}+\frac{h^2}{K_{a1}K_{a2}}. \] Then \[ s=xD(h). \] Since \(sx=K_{\mathrm{sp}}\), \[ \boxed{s=\sqrt{K_{\mathrm{sp}}D(h)}}, \qquad \boxed{x=\frac{K_{\mathrm{sp}}}{s}}. \]

Protonation lowers the fraction of dissolved oxalate present as \(\ce{C2O4^2-}\), allowing more solid to dissolve while maintaining the solubility product.

7.3 — Solubility at buffered pH 6.5

The buffer fixes \[ h=10^{-6.5}=3.1623\times10^{-7}\ \mathrm{mol\,dm^{-3}}. \] Therefore, \[ D(h) =1+\frac{3.1623\times10^{-7}}{5.2481\times10^{-5}} +\frac{(3.1623\times10^{-7})^2} {(5.8884\times10^{-2})(5.2481\times10^{-5})} =1.0060256. \] The molar solubility is \[ s=\sqrt{(2.1\times10^{-9})(1.0060256)} =4.5964\times10^{-5}\ \mathrm{mol\,dm^{-3}}. \]

Using the molar mass of the monohydrate, \[ M(\ce{CaC2O4.H2O})=146.11\ \mathrm{g\,mol^{-1}}, \] the mass solubility is \[ sM=(4.5964\times10^{-5})(146.11) =6.7157\times10^{-3}\ \mathrm{g\,dm^{-3}}. \] Thus, \[ \boxed{\text{Solubility}=6.7\times10^{-3}\ \mathrm{g\,dm^{-3}}}. \]

7.4 — Solubility in \(0.010\ \mathrm{mol\,dm^{-3}}\) hydrochloric acid

Hydrogen chloride dissociates completely: \[ \ce{HCl(aq) + H2O(l) -> H3O+(aq) + Cl-(aq)}. \] Hence, \[ [\ce{Cl-}]=C=0.010\ \mathrm{mol\,dm^{-3}}. \]

The free hydrogen-ion concentration must be calculated because oxalate takes up some of the added protons. Substituting the equilibrium expressions into the proton balance gives \[ h+\frac{K_{\mathrm{sp}}}{s} \left( \frac{h}{K_{a2}} +\frac{2h^2}{K_{a1}K_{a2}} \right) =C+\frac{K_w}{h}, \] where \[ s=\sqrt{K_{\mathrm{sp}} \left(1+\frac{h}{K_{a2}}+\frac{h^2}{K_{a1}K_{a2}}\right)}. \]

Solving this single equation for \(h\), retaining guard digits, gives \[ h=9.258101\times10^{-3}\ \mathrm{mol\,dm^{-3}}, \] \[ D(h)=205.1455, \] and therefore \[ s=\sqrt{(2.1\times10^{-9})(205.1455)} =6.563578\times10^{-4}\ \mathrm{mol\,dm^{-3}}. \]

The mass solubility is \[ sM=(6.563578\times10^{-4})(146.11) =0.0959004\ \mathrm{g\,dm^{-3}}. \]

To appropriate significant figures, \[ \boxed{\text{Solubility}=0.096\ \mathrm{g\,dm^{-3}}}, \qquad \boxed{[\ce{H+}]=0.0093\ \mathrm{mol\,dm^{-3}}}. \]

7.5 — Other equilibrium concentrations in the hydrochloric acid solution

Using the unrounded values from 7.4, \[ [\ce{Ca^2+}]=s =6.563578\times10^{-4}\ \mathrm{mol\,dm^{-3}}, \] \[ [\ce{C2O4^2-}] =\frac{K_{\mathrm{sp}}}{s} =3.199475\times10^{-6}\ \mathrm{mol\,dm^{-3}}, \] \[ [\ce{HC2O4-}] =\frac{h[\ce{C2O4^2-}]}{K_{a2}} =5.644177\times10^{-4}\ \mathrm{mol\,dm^{-3}}, \] \[ [\ce{H2C2O4}] =\frac{h[\ce{HC2O4-}]}{K_{a1}} =8.874063\times10^{-5}\ \mathrm{mol\,dm^{-3}}, \] \[ [\ce{OH-}] =\frac{K_w}{h} =1.080135\times10^{-12}\ \mathrm{mol\,dm^{-3}}, \] and \[ [\ce{Cl-}]=0.010\ \mathrm{mol\,dm^{-3}}. \]

These give the rounded concentrations listed in Answers. As checks, the oxalate balance is \[ x+y+z=6.563578\times10^{-4}\ \mathrm{mol\,dm^{-3}}=s, \] and the proton balance is \[ h+y+2z-[\ce{OH-}] =0.0100000\ \mathrm{mol\,dm^{-3}}=C. \]

Water is the solvent, with unit activity in this model; no separate undissociated hydrogen chloride concentration is retained under the complete-dissociation assumption.

The solution was checked against the official solution.