Question

Suppose you mix 25.0ml of 0.234m FeCl₃ solution with 42.5ml of 0.453m NaOH. What is the resulting solution's concentration?

1) 0.234m
2) 0.453m
3) 0.343m
4) Cannot be determined

Answer 1

The resulting solution's concentration is 0.234m. So, Option 1 is correct.

Step-by-step explanation:

When FeCl₃ reacts with NaOH, they undergo a double displacement reaction, forming Fe(OH)₃ (iron(III) hydroxide) and NaCl (sodium chloride). The balanced chemical equation for this reaction is:

FeCl₃ (aq) + 3NaOH (aq) → Fe(OH)₃ (s) + 3NaCl (aq)

To find the resulting solution's concentration, we need to consider the limiting reactant. The balanced equation shows a 1:3 ratio between FeCl₃ and NaOH. Therefore, we must determine which reactant is limiting based on their given concentrations and volumes.

First, calculate the moles of each reactant:

Moles of FeCl₃ = (25.0 ml x 0.234 mol/ml)

Moles of NaOH = (42.5 ml x 0.453 mol/ml)

Now, determine the limiting reactant. In this case, it's FeCl₃ because it has fewer moles. The reaction will consume all of the FeCl₃, leaving excess NaOH.

Since the reaction goes to completion, the resulting solution's concentration is determined by the initially limiting reactant, which is FeCl₃. Therefore, the concentration of the resulting solution is 0.234m.

In conclusion, the concentration of the resulting solution is 0.234m, as the limiting reactant, FeCl₃, determines the final concentration in this chemical reaction.