pH of acids, bases and salts
Exercise 7
Using the table of acid-base couples, calculate the $pH$ of a 3 % ($d$ = 1.0238) iron(III) chloride solution named $S$.
$Fe(H_2O)_6^{3+}: $ weak acid
If $d$ = 1.0238, then $\rho$ = 1.0238 $\frac{g}{mL}$
Let's take $1\;L$ of solution $S$:
$m_S$ $=$ $\rho \cdot V_S $ $=$ $ \rho \cdot 1000 $ =
1023.8$\; g$
$m_{FeCl_3}$ =
$\frac{\%_{FeCl_3}\cdot m_S}{100} $ =
$\frac{3 \cdot1023.8}{100} $ =
30.71$\; g$;
$n_{FeCl_3}=\frac{m_{FeCl_3}}{M_{FeCl_3}}$ =
$\frac{30.71}{162.22}$ =
0.189$\; mol$
$c_{Fe(H_2O)_6^{3+}}$ =
$c_{FeCl_3}$ =
$\frac{n_{FeCl_3}}{V_S}$ =
$\frac{0.189}{1}$ =
0.189 $\frac{mol}{L}$
Given $y=[H_3O^+]$
The equation
$y^2$ $+$ $K_a\;y$ $-$ $K_a\;c$ $=$ $0$
becomes:
$y^2$ $+$ $10^{-3}y$ $-$ $10^{-3} 0.189$ $=$ $0$
and produces:
$y=$ 1.33 10-2
and so:
$pH$ $=$ $-log\; y$ $ =$ 1.876