Gas Stoichiometry

Composition of Bleach: Application Lab

2011, Sharmaine S. Cady
East Stroudsburg University



Skills to build:

Performing an oxidation-reduction reaction that generates a
gas
Using the ideal gas law to solve a stoichiometry problem
Using stoichiometry to determine the composition of bleach





Gases

The gaseous phase is a physical state in which molecules have random motion
and negligible intermolecular interactions. Gases are easily compressed and flow from
areas of high pressure to areas of low pressures. Four physical quantities are used to
describe a gas: pressure, volume, temperature, and moles (or mass). The ideal gas law
gives the relationship among these four variables:

nRT PV


This equation states that there is a direct relationship between the volume of a gas and
the number of moles of gas present. At standard temperature and pressure (0C and 1
atm), one mole of a gas occupies 22.4 L, known as the standard molar volume.


Bleach


Bleach is a common household product used to disinfect and remove
stains. Commercially, it is used to treat waste water, disinfect drinking water, and
as a bleaching agent in the textile and paper industries. It is commercially
prepared by passing chlorine gas through a column of aqueous sodium
hydroxide. The chlorine and sodium hydroxide react to produce sodium
hypochlorite, NaOCl, the active ingredient in bleach.

Cl
2
+ 2 NaOH NaOCl + NaCl + H
2
O

Bleach
2
NaOCl partially hydrolyses in water solution to hypochlorous acid and sodium hydroxide.

NaOCl + H
2
O HOCl + NaOH

HOCl and OCl
-
are strong oxidizing agents that produce the bleaching power. HOCl
diffuses through bacterial cell walls and inactivates an enzyme necessary for cell growth,
thereby destroying the bacteria, which also makes bleach a good sterilizing agent.
Household bleach sold for laundry use contains 3-6% m/v sodium hypochlorite.
The strength of the solution changes over time due to the slow decomposition of
hypochlorite.

2 OCl
-
2 Cl
-
+ O
2


High-test hypochlorite (HTH), used for chlorination of swimming pools, contains calcium
hypochlorite in a crystalline form that yields 65-70% available chlorine by mass.


Oxidation-Reduction

When hydrogen peroxide is added to bleach, an oxidation-reduction reaction
occurs in which oxygen gas is released. Sodium chloride and water are also produced.

NaOCl + H
2
O
2
O
2
+ NaCl + H
2
O

Bleach is a basic solution with a pH range of 11-12. In basic solution, the oxidation half-
reaction, where H
2
O
2
is the reducing agent, may be written

2 OH
-
+ H
2
O
2
O
2
+ 2 H
2
O + 2 e
-


The reduction half-reaction, where bleach is the oxidizing agent, may be written

2 e
-
+ H
2
O + NaOCl NaCl + 2 OH
-

Note that there is a transfer of two electrons during the chemical reaction between the
oxygen atoms in H
2
O
2
and the Cl atom in NaOCl. The balanced chemical reaction
shows the amount of oxygen produced is in a 1:1 molar ratio with NaOCl.
In this experiment, the oxygen produced by the reaction is collected over water.
According to Dalton's law, the total pressure inside the collection tube is the sum of the
partial pressure of water plus the partial pressure of oxygen. To calculate the number of
moles of oxygen gas produced from the ideal gas law, the vapor pressure of water at the
temperature inside the tube must first be subtracted from the atmospheric pressure to
give the pressure of oxygen. The Handbook of Chemistry and Physics gives water
vapor pressure at a given temperature. The moles of NaOCl needed to produce the
oxygen can be calculated and then converted into grams to determine the % m/v of
NaOCl in the bleach.





Bleach
3


Experimental Methods and Materials





Safety considerations

Wear suitable protective clothing, gloves, and eye/face protection!

HYDROGEN PEROXIDE
Eye: Produces irritation, characterized by a burning sensation, redness, tearing,
inflammation, and possible corneal injury. Vapors may cause eye irritation.
Skin: May cause skin irritation. May cause skin discoloration. May cause reddening of
the skin.
Ingestion: May cause irritation of the digestive tract. May lead to distention of the
esophagus and stomach.
Inhalation: May cause respiratory tract irritation. Irritation may lead to chemical
pneumonitis and pulmonary edema.

BLEACH
Eye:causes severe but temporary injury
Skin: May cause skin irritation.
Ingestion: May cause nausea and vomiting.
Inhalation: May cause irritate nose, throat, and lungs.








Bleach
4
Determination of H
2
O
2
volume

To insure that NaOCl is the limiting reagent and totally consumed during the
redox reaction, the volume of hydrogen peroxide needed for an excess to be present
must first be determined. Assemble the apparatus as shown in Figure 1. the buret and
leveling bulb are equal. Record the initial level showing on the buret. Using a 1000-L
micropipettor, add 1.000 mL of bleach to the test tube. Cover with the septum. Fill a
syringe with 0.05 mL 3% m/v H
2
O
2
. Wipe the outside of the syringe with a Kimwipe.
Insert the syringe into the septum without touching the plunger. Adjust the leveling bulb
so the levels of water inside the buret and the leveling bulb are equal. Record the initial
level on the burette. Watch your significant figures and units. Push the plunger on the
syringe to add the H
2
O
2
to the bleach. When all bubbling has stopped, measure the
volume on the buret. Subtract to find the volume of oxygen generated. Remove the
syringe. Repeat the procedure with 1.00 mL, 1.50 mL, 2.00 mL, and 2.50 mL of H
2
O
2
.
Determine the volume of H
2
O
2
where NaOCl (bleach) is the limiting reagent.
























Figure 1. Set-up for bleach and peroxide reaction. All tubing and connections should
be airtight.


Determination of bleach composition

Clean and dry the test tube from the previous experiment. Add 1.0000 mL of
bleach to the test tube. Asemble the gas collection apparatus again. Using the excess
volume of H
2
O
2
determined in the previous section, add it to the bleach. Repeat two
more times. Using gas stoichiometry, compute the grams of NaOCl in the bleach
samples. Determine the m/v% for each sample of the three samples. Average the m/v%
values. Does the average agree with the label on the bottle?
Bleach
5

EXAMPLE CALCULATION

A student measured 75.43 mL oxygen gas evolved when 4.00 mL of bleach reacted with
4.00 mL of H
2
O
2
at a total pressure of 756.2 torr and a temperature of 22.0C. The water
vapor pressure at 22.0C is 19.8 torr. What is the m/v% of NaOCl in the bleach?

First calculate the pressure of O
2
in the collection tube: 756.2 torr 19.8 torr = 736.4 torr

Calculate the moles of O
2
from the ideal gas law and then use stoichiometry to calculate
the mass of NaOCl that produces that number of moles of O
2
. Divide that mass by the
volume of bleach and multiply by 100 for percent.

NaOCl m/v 5.62% 100
bleach mL 00 . 4
1

NaOCl mol
NaOCl g 74.44

O mol 1
NaOCl mol 1
O mol 10 x 3.02
O mol 10 x 3.02 torr 736.4
K 295
L 0.07543

torr L 4 . 62
K O mol
2
2
3 -
2
3 - 2

Bleach
6


Laboratory Report


Answers to the following question should appear in the discussion section of your report:

1. Calculate the class average for the NaOCl m/v%.
2. Calculate the percent experimental error in the value you obtained for the bleach
composition and then the class average. Give a possible explanation for any
errors.

100 x
value actual
value al experiment - value actual
error al experiment %




References

Knutsen, R. Chem 140 General Chemistry. http://www.ivygreen.ctc.edu/knutsen/
chem140/peroxblc.html (accessed August 2005)

Wikipedia Main Page. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page (accessed August 2005)