CHEMICAL FORMULAE, EQUATIONS AND CALCULATIONS: PART 2

• Understand how to carry out calculations involving gas

Amount of substance, volume and concentration (in volumes and the

molar volume of a gas (24dm3 and mol/dm3) of solution. 24000cm3
(24dm3) at room temperature and pressure (rtp)
 Avogadro's law:
Equal volumes of gases at the same
temperature and pressure contain equal
numbers of molecules.

100 cm3 of hydrogen at some temperature and pressure, it contains exactly the
same number of molecules as there are in 100 cm3 of Cl2, or any other gas under
those conditions.
 CH 4 (g) + 2O2 (g) → CO2 (g) + 2H 2 O(l)
two molecules of oxygen will react with each methane molecule

1 00 cm3 of CH4 we will need twice the volume of O2 to obtain the correct number
of particles.

100cm3 of methane will react exactly with 200 cm3 of oxygen gas and 100 cm3 of
carbon dioxide gas will be formed.

Unit of Volume
Volumes (of gases or liquids) are
measured in
cubic centimeters (cm3)
cubic decimetres (dm3)
litres (I)
The volume occupied by 1 mole of a gas is often called the molar
volume.

At room temperature and pressure, the volume occupied by 1 mole of

any gas is approximately 24 dm3 (24 000 cm3).

Rtp means room temperature and pressure. 20°C - 25 °C , 1 atm

volume of gas = number of moles  molar volume

volume of gas (dm3 ) = number of moles  24dm3

volume of gas (cm3 ) = number of moles  24000cm3

Calculate the volume in dm3 of 0.20 mol CO2 at rtp:

volume = number of moles  molar volume

= 0.2  24 = 4.8dm 3

Calculate the volume (in cm3) of 0.01 g of hydrogen at rtp (A,: H = 1).
1 mole of H2 has a mass 2g
mass 0.01
number of moles = = mol= 0.005 mol
mass in 1 mole 2
volume = number of moles  molar volume
= 0.005  24000 = 120 cm 3
You have to be careful that the units are correct when you are
calculating the number of moles from a volume. Look carefully, is the
volume of gas given in cm3 or dm3? If the volume of the gas is given in
cm3 then use the molar volume of the gas as 24000cm3, if it is given in
dm3 then use 24dm3. Calculate the amount of moles in 120 cm3 of
carbon dioxide.

volume of gas 120

number of moles = = mol= 0.005 mol
molar volume 24000
Aluminium reacts with dilute hydrochloric acid according to the
equation
2Al ( s ) + 6HCl(aq) → 2AlCl3 (aq) + 3H 2 ( g )

What mass of aluminium would you need to add to an excess of dilute

hydrochloric acid so that you produced 100 cm3 of hydrogen at room
temperature and pressure? (Ar of Al = 27; molar volume = 24000cm3 at
rtp.)
volume of gas 100
number of mole of gas = = = 0.00417mol
molar volume 24000
3 mole of H 2 was produced by 2 mole of Al
2
mole of Al = ×0.00417mole =0.00278 mole
3
mass of Al = mol  mass of 1 mole = 0.00278  27 = 0.075 g of Al
Concentration can be measured in either g/dm3 or mol/dm3

Concentration = mole of solute(mole) / volume of solution (dm3)

Concentration = mass of solute(g) / volume of solution (dm3)

Example 1
What is the concentration of a 0.050 mol/dm3 solution of sodium
carbonate, Na2C03, in g/dm3? (Ar: C = 12, 0 = 16, Na= 23)

1 dm3 of solution contains 0.05 mol of Na2CO3.

1 mole of Na2CO3 has a mass of 106g.

0.05 mol of Na2CO3 has a mass of 0.05 × 106g = 5.3g.

The concentration is 5.3g/dm3.

Example 2
What is the concentration in mol/dm3 of a solution containing 2.1 g of
sodium hydrogencarbonate, NaHC03, in 250cm3 of solution? (A,: H = 1,
C = 12, 0 = 16, Na= 23)

1 mol of NaHCO3 has a mass of (24+ 1+ 12+ 48) = 84g

mass 2.1
mol of NaHCO3 = = = 0.025mol
mass of 1mol 84
mol 0.025 mol
concentration = 3
= 3
= 0.1 3
vol of solution (dm ) 0.25dm dm
Example 3
Calculate the number of moles of NaOH in 50cm3 of 0.10mol/dm3
solution. Converting the volume to dm3 we get 50/1000 = 0.050dm3

volume = 50cm = 0.05dm

3 3

mol
concentration = 3
vol of solution (dm )
number of mol = concentration  vol of solution (dm ) 3

mol
= 0.1 3
 0.05dm 3

dm
= 0.005mol
 CALCULATIONS WITH EQUATIONS INVOLVING
SOLUTIONS
Limescale can be removed from, for example, electric kettles by reacting
it with a dilute acid such as ethanoic acid, which is present in vinegar:
CaCO3 ( s ) + 2CH3COOH(aq) → ( CH3COO )2 Ca(aq) + CO2 ( g ) +H 2 O(1)
What mass of calcium carbonate can be removed by 50cm3 of a solution
of ethanoic acid that has a concentration of 2 mol/dm3?
(Ar: C = 12, 0 = 16, Ca = 40)
number of mol (CH3COOH) = concentration  vol of solution (dm3 )
mol
=2 3
 0.05dm 3
= 0.1mol
dm
2 mole of CH3COOH react with 1 mole of CaCO3
0.1 mol of CH3COOH react with 0.1/2 mol of CaCO3
Mol of CaCO3 = 0.05 mol

1 mole of CaCO3 has a mass 100g. (Mr = 100)

Mass of CaCO3 = mole × mass of 1 mol

= 0.05 × 100 = 5g

Therefore, the ethanoic acid reacts with 5 g of calcium carbonate.

CALCULATIONS FROM TITRATIONS
Titration is a technique that is used to find out how much of one
solution reacts with a certain volume of another solution of known
concentration.

A solution of an alkali is measured into a conical flask using a pipette.

An acid is run in from a burette, swirling the flask constantly.

Towards the end, the acid is run in a drop at a time until the indicator
just changes colour.

If you know the concentration of either the acid or the alkali you can
use the results of the titration to find the concentration of the solution
you reacted it with.
A standard titration problem will look like this:
25.00cm3 of 0.100mol/dm3 sodium hydroxide solution required
23.50cm3 of dilute hydrochloric acid for neutralisation. Calculate the
concentration of the hydrochloric acid.
NaOH + HCL
NaOH(aq) + HCl (aq) → NaCl + H 2O

mole of NaOH = concentration  volume (dm ) 3

mol 25
= 0.1 3
 dm = 0.0025mol
3

dm 1000
From chemical equation,
1 mol of NaOH reacts with 1 mol of HCl
0.0025mole of NaOH reacts with 0.0025 mol of HCl

mol of HCl 0.0025mol mol

concentration of HCl = 3
= 3
= 0.106 3
volume(dm ) 0.0235dm dm
25.0 cm3 of sodium hydroxide solution of unknown concentration was
titrated with dilute sulfuric acid of concentration 0.050mol/dm3 .
20.0cm3 of the acid was required to neutralise the alkali. Find the
concentration of the sodium hydroxide solution in mol/dm3 .

2NaOH(aq) + H 2SO4 (aq) → Na 2SO4 (aq) + 2H2O(l)

2NaOH(aq) + H 2SO4 (aq) → Na 2SO 4 (aq) + 2H 2 O(l)

2mol 1 mol

mole of H 2SO 4 = concentration  volume (dm3 )

mol 20
= 0.05  dm = 0.001mol
3

dm3 1000
From chemical equation,
1 mol of H 2SO4 reacts with 2 mol of NaOH
0.001mole of H 2SO4 reacts with 2  0.001 mol of NaOH
mol of NaOH 0.002mol mol
concentration of NaOH = 3
= 3
= 0.08 3
volume(dm ) 0.025dm dm
Example 4
Calculate the volume of 0.1 00 mol/dm3 sodium hydrogen carbonate
(NaHCO3) solution needed to neutralise 20.0 cm3 of 0.125 mol/dm3
hydrochloric acid (HCI).
NaHCO3 (aq) + HCl(aq) → NaCl(aq) + CO2 ( g ) + H 2O (1)

mol of HCl = concentration  volume

mol 20
= 0.125 3
 dm = 0.0025mol
3

dm 1000

1 mol HCl reacts with 1 mole of NaHCO3

0.0025 mol of HCl react with 0.0025 mol of NaHCO3
 number of mol 0.0025
volume of NaHCO3 solution = = = 0.025dm3
concentration 0.1