Chemistry 20 (SOLUTIONS) – Preparation of Solutions

Standard Solution – _________________________________________________________________________________

 Used in chemical analysis and to precisely control chemical reactions
 Precision equipment is required to measure mass of solute (electronic balances) and volume of solution
(volumetric flask)
Dilution - _________________________________________________________________________________________
 Usually accomplished by adding more solvent
 The number of moles of solute DOES NOT change when a solution is diluted (# of moles before = # of moles
after)
 Dilution is especially important in manipulating the concentration of solutions in chemistry for better control of
reactions
 Concentrated solution reactions can be too violent to be safe and/or too fast to observe
Stock Solution -
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Determining the Volume of Stock Solution for a Standard Solution

 We know that the number of moles does not change when diluting a solution, but the concentration and volume
will. So we will use the dilution formula:

 To use the dilution formula, you must make sure the units are consistent for both the c and v (i.e. both in mL or
both in L)

Example:
For a class experiment, your teacher must make 2.0 L of 0.10 mol/L sulphuric acid. This acid is usually sold as an 18
mol/L concentrated solution. How much of the concentrated solution should be used to make a new solution with the
correct concentration?

Determining the Mass of pure solid for a Standard Solution

 Use factor label analysis to determine the values for both the mount in moles and the mass of solid required
 Since you are only working with one substance, you don’t need to use a balanced equation, and therefore you
do not need to use the coefficient ratio (mol ratio)
 The volume of the solution and its molar concentration are needed.

Example:
What is the mass needed to prepare 250.0mL of a 0.100mol/L solution of sodium carbonate?
Using a Volumetric Pipette

A pipette is a specially designed glass tube to measure precise volumes of liquids.

1. Rinse the pipette with small volumes of distilled water using a wash bottle, and then with the sample solution.
2. Hold the pipette with your thumb and fingers near the top. Leave your index finger free.
3. Place the pipette in the sample solution, resting the tip on the bottom of the container if possible. Be careful that the tip does not hit
the sides of the container.
4. Squeeze the pipette bulb into the palm of your hand and place the bulb firmly and squarely on the end of the pipette with your thumb
across the top of the bulb.
5. Release your grip on the bulb until the liquid has risen above the calibration line. (This may require bringing the level up in stages:
remove the bulb, put your finger on the pipette, squeeze the air out of the bulb, replace the bulb, and continue the procedure).
6. Remove the bulb, placing your index finger over the top.
7. Wipe all solution from the outside of the pipette using a paper towel.
8. While touching the tip of the pipette to the inside of a waste beaker, gently roll your index finger to allow the liquid level to drop until
the bottom of the meniscus reaches the calibration line.
9. While holding the pipette vertically, touch the pipette tip to the inside wall of a clean receiving container. Remove your finger and
allow the liquid to drain freely until the solution stops flowing.
10. Finish by touching the pipette tip to the inside of the container held at about a 45 degree angle. The delivery pipette is calibrated to
leave a small volume in the tip.
Dilution Calculations

Most solutions in labs are stored in a concentrated form. The solutions are then diluted to yield solutions of know
concentration as required. When a solution is diluted, only the amount of solvent is increased. As the volume of
solution is increased, the concentration of the solution is proportionately decreased. This means that the NUMBER OF
MOLES IN THE SOLUTIONS DOES NOT CHANGE during the dilution procedure. Therefore, the number of moles of solute
in the initial concentrated solution is equal to the number of moles of solute in the final diluted solution.

Problems

1. To what volume must a 300 mL of a 4.00 mol/L of C2H5OH be diluted to make a 3.00 mol/L solution? (ANS: 400 mL)
2. What would be the final concentration of 600 mL of a 6.00 mol/L HCl were diluted to a volume of 800.0 mL?
(ANS: 4.5 mol/L)
3. What volume of 2.50 mol/L BaCl2 solution is necessary to make a 8.00 L of a 0.500 mol/L solution of BaCl2?
(ANS: 1.60 L)
4. If 70.0 mL of a 0.800 mol/L ZnBr2 solution is used to make a 0.300 mol/L solution, what is the final volume?
(ANS: 0.187 L)
5. What volume of 2.00 mol/L Cu(NO3)2 is necessary to make 50.0 mL of a 1.70 mol/L solution of Cu(NO3)2?
(ANS: 0.0425 L)
6. If water were added to 500 mL of 3.00 mol/L FeSO4 to give a final volume of 580 mL, what would be the final
concentration? (ANS: 2.59 mol/L)
7. If 80.0 L of a 3.00 mol/L solution of NaOH were released from an industrial holding tank, what final volume of
solution is necessary to produce a final concentration of 0.00100 mol/L? (ANS: 2.40 x 10 5 L)
8. If 60.0 L of a 2.50 mol/L toxic substance were poured into a pond to give a final volume of 5.00 x 10 3 L, what would
be the final concentration? (ANS: 0.0300 mol/L)
9. To what final volume must the 60.0 L of 2.50 mol/L solution in Problem 8 be diluted to make the final concentration
1.00 x 10-6 mol/L (a fairly safe concentration for most toxic substances)? (ANS: 1.50 x 108 L)
10. To what volume must 600 mL of a 2.00 mol/L solution of Ca(BrO3)2 be evaporated to make the solution 4.5 mol/L?
(ANS: 0.27 L)