Determining Molar Mass from Osmotic Pressure

PROBLEM: Biochemists have discovered more than 400 mutant varieties of hemoglobin, the
blood protein that carries O2. A physician dissolves 21.5 mg of one variety in water to
make 1.50 mL of solution at 5.0 ° C. She measures an osmotic pressure of 3.61 torr.
What is the molar mass of the protein?

PLAN: We convert II to atm and T to degrees K and calculate molarity from osmotic
pressure. We can then determine the molar mass using the number of moles and the
known mass.

SOLUTION:

M = II/RT = [[3.61 torr x (1 atm/760 torr)] / [(0.0821 L*atm/mol*K)(278.15K)]] = 2.08 x 10^-4 M

(2.08x10^-4 mol/ 1 L) x (1 L/10^3 mL) = 3.12 x 10^-7 mol

21.5 mg x (1 g/ 10^3 mg) = 0.0215 g

M = ( 0.0215 g/ 3.12 x 10^-7 mol) = 6.89 x 10^4 g/mol