Problem 1

Calculate ionic strength of the following solutions:

1) 0.5844 g/L sodium chloride
2) 1.42 g/L sodium sulfate

Solution
1) Molar concentrations:

CM (NaCl) =Cm/MW = 0.5844/58.44 = 0.01 mol/L

CM (Na2SO4) =Cm/MW = 1.42/142 = 0.01 mol/L

2) Ionic strength:

I(NaCl)= 0.5 (12 × 0.01 + (-1)2 × 0.01) = 0.01 mol/L

I(Na2SO4) = 0.5 (12 × 0.02 + (-2)2 × 0.01) = 0.03 mol/L

1
Problem 2

Calculate ionic strength of the following solutions:

a) 3.5 g/L calcium chloride

b) 1.25 ppm manganese sulfate
c) 12 mM copper nitrate

Solution:

a) MW (CaCl2) = 111 g/mol

CM = Cm/MW = 3.5 / 111 = 0.0315 mol/L
CaCl2 = Ca2+ + 2Cl-
1
I = ¿× 0.0315 + (−1)2 × 0.063) = 0.0945 mol/L
2
b) MW (Mn(SO4)) = 151 g/mol
CM = 1.25 × 10-3 / 151= 8.28 × 10-6 mol/L
MnSO4 = Mn2+ + SO42-
1
I = ¿× 8.28 × 10-6 + (−2)2× 8.28 × 10-6) = 3.312 × 10-5 mol/L
2
c) Cu(NO3)2 = Cu2+ + 2NO3-
1
I = ¿× 12 × 10-3 + (−1)2× 24 × 10-3) = 0.036 mol/L
2

2
Problem 3

Compute thickness of EDL of a colloid in:

a) 0.01 g/L calcium sulfite

b) 0.01 M copper sulfate

Solution:

ε– dielectric permittivity of medium; 708 x 10-12 F/m

KB – Boltzman constant; 1.38 x 10-23 J/K

T – temperature; K

e – elementary charge; 1.602 x 10-19 C

z – valency of electrolyte;

n – bulk concentration of ions; 1/m3

a) K (CaSO3) =

= 16.84 × 10-9 m
n = 103 × NA × CM = 103 × 6.022 × 1023 × (0.01 g/L / 120 g/mol) = 5 × 1022 1/m3

3
1 mole of any element (compound) contains 6.022 * 1023 mol-1 atoms of an element, which corresponds
to Avogadro’s number (NA)

−12 −23
708 ×10 ×1.38 ×10 × 298
b) K (CuSO4) = ( −19 2 2 23
) 1/2 = 1.53 × 10-9 m
2×(1.602 ×10 ) × 2 ×60.22 ×10
n = 103 × NA × CM = 103 × 6.022 × 1023 × 0.01 = 60.22 × 1023 1/m3

Units: K = ([F/m * J/K * K * m3]/C2)0.5 = m

F = C2/(N * m)
J=N*m

Val = 2; CuSO4 = Cu2+ + SO4 2-

Val=1; NaCl = Na+ + Cl-

Val=3; AlPO4 = Al3+ + PO4 3-