Question

g A 500. mL solution contains 0.665 M NaC2H3O2 and 0.475 M HC2H3O2. What mass of HCl in grams needs to be added for the solution to have a pH of 4.21? The Ka of acetic acid is 1.8 x 10-5.

Answer 1

7.38g HCl

Step-by-step explanation:

Using H-H equation for acetic buffer:

pH = pKa + log [NaC2H3O2] / [HC2H3O2]

Where pKa is -log Ka = 4.74 and [] could be taken as moles of each compound.

The initial moles of each specie is:

[NaC2H3O2]:

0.500L * (0.665mol/L) = 0.3325moles

[HC2H3O2]:

0.500L * (0.475mol/L) = 0.2375 moles

That means total moles are:

[NaC2H3O2] + [HC2H3O2] = 0.57 moles (1)

And solving H-H equation for a pH of 4.21:

4.21 = 4.74 + log [NaC2H3O2] / [HC2H3O2]

0.29512 = [NaC2H3O2] / [HC2H3O2] (2)

Replacing (1) in (2):

0.29512 = 0.57mol - [HC2H3O2] / [HC2H3O2]

0.29512 [HC2H3O2] = 0.57mol - [HC2H3O2]

1.29512 [HC2H3O2] = 0.57mol

[HC2H3O2] = 0.44 moles

The HCl reacts with NaC2H3O2 producing HC2H3O2, that means you need to add:

0.44 moles - 0.2375 moles =

0.2025 moles of HCl

Using molar mass of HCl (36.45g/mol), to convert these moles to grams:

0.2025 moles * (36.45g/mol) =

7.38g HCl