IChO 2021 · Theory problem 3

Lambert–Beer Law?

In this problem, ignore the absorption of the cell and the solvent. The temperatures of all solutions and gases are kept constant at 25 °C.

PART A

An aqueous solution X was prepared using \(\ce{HA}\) and \(\ce{NaA}\). The concentrations \([\ce{A^-}]\), \([\ce{HA}]\), and \([\ce{H+}]\) in solution X are \(1.00 \times 10^{-2}\ \mathrm{mol\,L^{-1}}\), \(1.00 \times 10^{-3}\ \mathrm{mol\,L^{-1}}\), and \(1.00 \times 10^{-4}\ \mathrm{mol\,L^{-1}}\), respectively, which are correlated via the following acid-base equilibrium:

Figure 1

The optical path length is \(l\) in Part A. Ignore the density change upon dilution. Assume that no chemical reactions other than eq 1 occur.

3.1 The absorbance of X was \(A_1\) at a wavelength of \(\lambda_1\). Then, solution X was diluted to twice its initial volume using hydrochloric acid with pH = 2.500. After the dilution, the absorbance was still \(A_1\) at \(\lambda_1\). Determine the ratio \(\varepsilon_{\ce{HA}}/\varepsilon_{\ce{A^-}}\), where \(\varepsilon_{\ce{HA}}\) and \(\varepsilon_{\ce{A^-}}\) represent the absorption coefficients of \(\ce{HA}\) and of \(\ce{A^-}\), respectively, at \(\lambda_1\).

PART B

Let us consider the following equilibrium in the gas phase:

Figure 2

Pure gas \(\ce{D}\) is filled into a cuboid container that has a transparent movable wall with a cross-section of \(S\) (see the figure below) at a pressure \(P\), and equilibrium is established while the total pressure is kept at \(P\). The absorbance of the gas is \(A=\varepsilon(n/V)l\), where \(\varepsilon\), \(n\), \(V\), and \(l\) are the absorption coefficient, amount of the gas in moles, volume of the gas, and optical path length, respectively. Assume that all components of the gas mixture behave as ideal gases.

Figure 3

Use the following definitions if necessary.

Initial state After equilibrium
\(\ce{D}\) \(\ce{M}\) \(\ce{D}\) \(\ce{M}\)
Partial pressure \(P\) \(0\) \(p_{\mathrm D}\) \(p_{\mathrm M}\)
Amount in moles \(n_0\) \(0\) \(n_{\mathrm D}\) \(n_{\mathrm M}\)
Volume \(V_0\) \(V\)

3.2 The absorbance of the gas at \(\lambda_{\mathrm{B1}}\) measured from direction \(x\) (\(l=l_x\)) was \(A_{\mathrm{B1}}\) both at the initial state and after the equilibrium. Determine the ratio \(\varepsilon_{\mathrm D}/\varepsilon_{\mathrm M}\) at \(\lambda_{\mathrm{B1}}\), where \(\varepsilon_{\mathrm D}\) and \(\varepsilon_{\mathrm M}\) represent the absorption coefficients of \(\ce{D}\) and of \(\ce{M}\), respectively.

3.3 The absorbance of the gas at \(\lambda_{\mathrm{B2}}\) measured from direction \(y\) was \(A_{\mathrm{B2}}\) both at the initial state (\(l=l_{y0}\)) and after the equilibrium (\(l=l_y\)). Determine the ratio \(\varepsilon_{\mathrm D}/\varepsilon_{\mathrm M}\) at \(\lambda_{\mathrm{B2}}\).

Official English text of the problem.

Answers

  • 3.1: \(\displaystyle \boxed{\frac{\varepsilon_{\ce{HA}}}{\varepsilon_{\ce{A^-}}}=8.99}\) at \(\lambda_1\).
  • 3.2: \(\displaystyle \boxed{\frac{\varepsilon_{\mathrm D}}{\varepsilon_{\mathrm M}}=1}\) at \(\lambda_{\mathrm{B1}}\).
  • 3.3: \(\displaystyle \boxed{\frac{\varepsilon_{\mathrm D}}{\varepsilon_{\mathrm M}}=2}\) at \(\lambda_{\mathrm{B2}}\).

Solution

The letter-labelled chemical species are unspecified, so unique molecular names and SMILES cannot be assigned to them. Hydrogen ion \(\ce{H+}\) is the proton, [H+].

For a mixture of absorbing species, the individual absorbances add:

\[ A=l\sum_i \varepsilon_i c_i. \]

3.1

The acid–base equilibrium is

\[ \ce{HA <=> A^- + H+}. \]

From the initial concentrations,

\[ K=\frac{[\ce{A^-}][\ce{H+}]}{[\ce{HA}]} =\frac{(1.00\times10^{-2})(1.00\times10^{-4})} {1.00\times10^{-3}} =1.00\times10^{-3}\ \mathrm{mol\,L^{-1}}. \]

The temperature remains constant, so this equilibrium constant also applies after mixing.

The hydrogen-ion concentration of the added hydrochloric acid is

\[ [\ce{H+}]_{\mathrm{acid}} =10^{-2.500}\ \mathrm{mol\,L^{-1}} =3.16228\times10^{-3}\ \mathrm{mol\,L^{-1}}, \]

retaining guard digits for calculation. Doubling the volume requires adding an equal volume of this acid. Dilution alone therefore gives the bookkeeping concentrations

\[ \begin{aligned} [\ce{A^-}]_{\mathrm{mix}} &=5.00\times10^{-3}\ \mathrm{mol\,L^{-1}},\\ [\ce{HA}]_{\mathrm{mix}} &=5.00\times10^{-4}\ \mathrm{mol\,L^{-1}},\\ [\ce{H+}]_{\mathrm{mix}} &=\frac{1.00\times10^{-4}+3.16228\times10^{-3}}{2}\\ &=1.63114\times10^{-3}\ \mathrm{mol\,L^{-1}}. \end{aligned} \]

The equilibrium readjusts by protonation:

\[ \ce{A^- + H+ <=> HA}. \]

Let \(u\) be the concentration of \(\ce{A^-}\) protonated. With all concentrations and \(u\) expressed in \(\mathrm{mol\,L^{-1}}\),

\[ \begin{aligned} [\ce{A^-}]_f&=5.00\times10^{-3}-u,\\ [\ce{HA}]_f&=5.00\times10^{-4}+u,\\ [\ce{H+}]_f&=1.63114\times10^{-3}-u. \end{aligned} \]

Substitution into the equilibrium expression gives

\[ \frac{(5.00\times10^{-3}-u)(1.63114\times10^{-3}-u)} {5.00\times10^{-4}+u} =1.00\times10^{-3}. \]

Using the unrounded input values, the physically admissible root is

\[ u=1.188237\times10^{-3}\ \mathrm{mol\,L^{-1}}. \]

Thus, retaining guard digits,

\[ \begin{aligned} [\ce{A^-}]_f&=3.811763\times10^{-3}\ \mathrm{mol\,L^{-1}},\\ [\ce{HA}]_f&=1.688237\times10^{-3}\ \mathrm{mol\,L^{-1}},\\ [\ce{H+}]_f&=4.429019\times10^{-4}\ \mathrm{mol\,L^{-1}}. \end{aligned} \]

Equal absorbance at the same path length requires

\[ \varepsilon_{\ce{HA}}[\ce{HA}]_i +\varepsilon_{\ce{A^-}}[\ce{A^-}]_i = \varepsilon_{\ce{HA}}[\ce{HA}]_f +\varepsilon_{\ce{A^-}}[\ce{A^-}]_f. \]

Consequently,

\[ \begin{aligned} \frac{\varepsilon_{\ce{HA}}}{\varepsilon_{\ce{A^-}}} &=\frac{[\ce{A^-}]_i-[\ce{A^-}]_f} {[\ce{HA}]_f-[\ce{HA}]_i}\\ &=\frac{1.00\times10^{-2}-3.811763\times10^{-3}} {1.688237\times10^{-3}-1.00\times10^{-3}}\\ &=8.99143\ldots\\ &=\boxed{8.99}. \end{aligned} \]

3.2

The gas-phase equilibrium is

\[ \ce{D <=> 2M}. \]

In direction \(x\), the optical path length \(l_x\) is fixed. Initially, the ideal-gas equation gives

\[ \frac{n_0}{V_0}=\frac{P}{RT}, \]

so the initial absorbance is

\[ A_{\mathrm{B1},i} =\varepsilon_{\mathrm D}\frac{P}{RT}l_x. \]

At equilibrium,

\[ A_{\mathrm{B1},f} =\left( \varepsilon_{\mathrm D}\frac{p_{\mathrm D}}{RT} +\varepsilon_{\mathrm M}\frac{p_{\mathrm M}}{RT} \right)l_x. \]

Equating the absorbances and cancelling \(l_x/(RT)\) gives

\[ \varepsilon_{\mathrm D}P =\varepsilon_{\mathrm D}p_{\mathrm D} +\varepsilon_{\mathrm M}p_{\mathrm M}. \]

Since the total pressure remains \(P\),

\[ P=p_{\mathrm D}+p_{\mathrm M}. \]

Hence,

\[ (\varepsilon_{\mathrm D}-\varepsilon_{\mathrm M})p_{\mathrm M}=0. \]

The dissociation produces a nonzero amount of \(\ce{M}\), so

\[ \boxed{\frac{\varepsilon_{\mathrm D}}{\varepsilon_{\mathrm M}}=1}. \]

At constant pressure and temperature, the total molar concentration stays constant. Equal absorption coefficients therefore give unchanged absorbance along the fixed path.

3.3

In direction \(y\), the path length changes as the movable wall moves. The cross-sectional area \(S\) is fixed, giving

\[ V_0=Sl_{y0}, \qquad V=Sl_y. \]

The initial absorbance is therefore

\[ A_{\mathrm{B2},i} =\varepsilon_{\mathrm D}\frac{n_0}{V_0}l_{y0} =\frac{\varepsilon_{\mathrm D}n_0}{S}. \]

At equilibrium,

\[ \begin{aligned} A_{\mathrm{B2},f} &=\left( \varepsilon_{\mathrm D}\frac{n_{\mathrm D}}{V} +\varepsilon_{\mathrm M}\frac{n_{\mathrm M}}{V} \right)l_y\\ &=\frac{\varepsilon_{\mathrm D}n_{\mathrm D} +\varepsilon_{\mathrm M}n_{\mathrm M}}{S}. \end{aligned} \]

Equal absorbance thus requires

\[ \varepsilon_{\mathrm D}n_0 =\varepsilon_{\mathrm D}n_{\mathrm D} +\varepsilon_{\mathrm M}n_{\mathrm M}. \]

From the stoichiometry of \(\ce{D <=> 2M}\),

\[ n_0=n_{\mathrm D}+\frac{n_{\mathrm M}}{2}. \]

Substituting this balance gives

\[ \varepsilon_{\mathrm D} \left(n_{\mathrm D}+\frac{n_{\mathrm M}}{2}\right) = \varepsilon_{\mathrm D}n_{\mathrm D} +\varepsilon_{\mathrm M}n_{\mathrm M}, \]

and therefore

\[ \left(\frac{\varepsilon_{\mathrm D}}{2} -\varepsilon_{\mathrm M}\right)n_{\mathrm M}=0. \]

Since \(n_{\mathrm M}>0\),

\[ \boxed{\frac{\varepsilon_{\mathrm D}}{\varepsilon_{\mathrm M}}=2}. \]

Along this direction, \(l_y/V=1/S\), so each mole of \(\ce{D}\) must absorb as much as the two moles of \(\ce{M}\) formed from it.

The solution was checked against the official solution.