2023/3/15 02:03 ALEKS - Yiyang Yu - Learn

STATES OF MATTER
Calculating ideal solution composition after a distillation
Explanation Page

QUESTION

A solution of pentane and ethanol CH3 CH2 OH is boiling at 77.1 °C. A sample of the vapor above the solution is
cooled until it condenses. This condensed sample is analyzed, and turns out to be 10.% pentane by mass.
Calculate the percent by mass of pentane in the boiling solution. Here's some data you may need:

normal vapor pressure

density
boiling point at 77.1 °C

g
pentane 36. °C 0.63 2451. torr
mL

g
ethanol 78. °C 0.79 725. torr
mL

Be sure your answer has 2 significant digits.

Note for advanced students: you may assume the solution and vapor above it are ideal.

EXPLANATION

The key fact here is that the composition of the condensed sample (which you're told) must be the same as the
composition of the vapor above the boiling solution. If you know the composition of the vapor above a solution, can
you find the composition of the solution itself?

Indeed you can, at least for ideal solutions, and Raoult's Law is how. Raoult's Law connects the composition of a
solution (expressed in mole fractions) to the composition of the vapor above it (expressed in partial pressures):

Here pi stands for the partial pressure of component i, xi stands for the mole fraction of i,
o
pi = xi pi o
and pi for the vapor pressure of pure i.

You can solve Raoult's Law for the mole fractions in the solution:

pi
xi = o
pi

If you can find the partial pressure of pentane in the vapor above the solution, you can use this equation to find the
mole fraction of pentane in the boiling solution, and from mole fraction you can get to mass percent.

How do you find the partial pressure of pentane in the vapor? From the mass percent of pentane in the condensed
sample, which you're told, in two steps:

Use mass percent to find the mole fractions in the sample.

Use the connection between mole fraction and partial pressure in gas mixtures to go from mole fractions to
partial pressures.

Away we go:

Finding the mole fractions in the condensed sample might seem tricky at first, because you don't know the total mass
of the sample. The way around this is to assume for a moment that the sample has some convenient total mass, like
exactly 100 g . Let's calculate the mole fractions in that. (Click the tabs to see each step.)

mass moles mole

fraction

mass

C5 H12 10.% 100 g = 10.00… g

CH3 CH2 OH 90.% 100 g = 90.00… g

Practice
Now in fact the mole fractions in the sample must be the same no matter what its total mass, because concentration is
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an intensive property. That means the mole fractions you've just calculated must be the mole fractions in the sample,
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2023/3/15 02:03 ALEKS - Yiyang Yu - Learn
a te s e p ope ty at ea s t e oe act o s you e just ca cu ated ust be t e oe act o s t e sa p e,
whatever its size.

By the way, notice there are 2 significant digits in the mole fractions. You'll need to know this to round your final
answer. But keep a few extra digits for now.

Now it's time to use the connection between mole fraction and partial pressure in a mixture of gases:

pi = xi·p Here p stands for the total pressure.

More...

The only snag might seem to be that you aren't told the total pressure of the vapor. But what you are told is that the
solution is boiling, and that means the total pressure must be 1 atm , or 760 torr . So the partial pressure of pentane is
just the mole fraction calculated above multiplied by 760 torr:

ppentane = 0.06625 760 torr = 50.35… torr

This calculation has 2 significant digits, but keep a few extra for now.
Now you're ready to use the re-arranged Raoult's Law to find the mole fraction of pentane in the solution:

ppentane 50.35 torr

xpentane = o
= = 0.02054…
ppentane 2451. torr

To find the mole fraction of ethanol, use the fact that the mole fractions must add up to 1:

xethanol = 1 − xpentane = 1 − 0.02054 = 0.97946…

Finally, you need the mass percentage of pentane in the solution. Let's do that for a sample of the solution that is a
convenient size, like exactly 1 mol. (Click the tabs to see each step.)

moles mass percent by

mass

moles

C5 H12 0.02054 1 mol = 0.02054 mol

CH3 CH2 OH 0.97946 1 mol = 0.97946 mol

There are 2 significant digits in the calculated mass percent of pentane, so be sure to round your final answer
appropriately.

Notice, by the way, that the solution has a lower percentage of pentane than the vapor. Or in other words, the vapor is
enriched in pentane, which has the lower boiling point. This will always be the case, and is a useful check on your
calculations -- if you found that the vapor was depleted of the low-boiling component, you'd know you'd done
something wrong.

ANSWER

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