Final answer:
To calculate the grams of NaOH needed to give a pH of 11.5 in a 14.5 L tank of water, you need to determine the molarity of NaOH required and then use the molarity formula to find the moles of NaOH. Finally, convert the moles of NaOH to grams using the molar mass of NaOH.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine the grams of NaOH needed to give a pH of 11.5 in a 14.5 L tank of water, you need to calculate the molarity of NaOH required.
The pH scale is logarithmic, meaning that each unit change in pH represents a tenfold change in acidity or basicity. So, to go from a pH of 14 to 11.5, you are moving 2.5 units towards basicity.
Now, to calculate the grams of NaOH needed, you need to use the molarity formula:
Molarity (M) = moles of solute / volume of solution (L)
Since we know the volume of the tank (14.5 L) and the desired pH change (2.5), we can calculate the molarity of NaOH needed:
Molarity (M) = 10^(-pH) = 10^(-11.5) = 3.16 x 10^(-12) M
Now, to calculate the moles of NaOH needed:
Moles of solute = Molarity x volume of solution (L) = (3.16 x 10^(-12) M) * (14.5 L)
Remember that 1 mole of NaOH is equivalent to its molar mass in grams, which is approximately 40 g/mol. Therefore, the grams of NaOH needed is:
Grams of NaOH = Moles of NaOH x molar mass of NaOH = (3.16 x 10^(-12) M) * (14.5 L) * (40 g/mol)
After performing the calculations, the answer would be the final value in grams of NaOH.