Final Answer:
The actual concentration of molecular NH₃ in a 0.400 M solution is 0.389 M.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine the actual concentration of molecular NH₃ in the solution, we need to consider the dissociation of ammonia in water. Ammonia (NH₃) is a weak base, and it undergoes partial ionization in water, represented by the equilibrium equation:
The given Kb value (1.80 x 10⁻⁵) corresponds to the equilibrium expression:
Given that the initial concentration of NH₃ is 0.400 M, and assuming x as the change in concentration due to dissociation, we can set up an ICE (initial, change, equilibrium) table and solve for the equilibrium concentration of NH₃.
After solving, we find that the equilibrium concentration of NH₃ is approximately 0.389 M. This represents the actual concentration of molecular NH₃ in the 0.400 M solution after considering the partial ionization. Understanding the dissociation of weak bases is crucial in calculating the true concentration of the molecular species present in a solution and is a fundamental concept in the study of acid-base chemistry.