Final answer:
To find the concentration of the perchloric acid, you calculate the moles of Ba(OH)2 used, convert these to moles of HClO4 with stoichiometry, and then divide by the volume of the acid aliquot.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question involves finding the concentration of perchloric acid (HClO4) using information from a titration experiment. A titration is a laboratory method of quantitative chemical analysis used to determine the concentration of an identified analyte. In this scenario, barium hydroxide (Ba(OH)2) is used to neutralize the perchloric acid, and the volume of barium hydroxide solution used is known.
To calculate the molarity of the perchloric acid solution, the balanced chemical equation for the neutralization reaction is required. Once the equation is balanced, the stoichiometry of the reaction will inform us of the molar ratio between the acid and the base. Using the molarity and volume of the base, the moles of base can be calculated. Then, the moles of acid reacting can be found through stoichiometry, and finally, the molarity of the acid can be determined using the volume of the acid aliquot.
The example given (Suppose that a titration is performed and 20.70 mL of 0.500 M NaOH is required to reach the end point when titrated against 15.00 mL of HCl of unknown concentration) shows the process: Calculate the moles of NaOH, use stoichiometry to find moles of HCl, and divide by the volume of the HCl solution to find its concentration.
Therefore, to solve the student's question, the same steps would be followed. We would calculate the number of moles of Ba(OH)2 used using its volume and concentration. Then, assuming a 1:1 molar ratio (which needs to be confirmed by the balanced reaction equation), we could calculate the moles of HClO4 that reacted, and subsequently, using the volume of the perchloric acid solution, we could find its concentration.