the vapour pressure of pure water at 110 degrees is 142.7kpa. a solution of ethylene glycol and water has a vapour pressure of 101.3kpa at 110 degrees. assuming that raoults law is obeyed, what is the mole fraction of ethylene glycol in the solution?

I get confused when they don't give any values of the solute/solvent. I have tried by assuming 100ml and 1000ml of h2o but I cant get the answer required.

0.450

0.290

0.290

To calculate the mole fraction of ethylene glycol in the solution, we can use Raoult's Law, which states that the partial pressure of a component in a solution is equal to the product of its mole fraction in the solution and the vapor pressure of the pure component. Let's break down the steps to solve this problem:

Step 1: Determine the vapor pressure of water at 110 degrees Celsius.
Given in the question, the vapor pressure of pure water at 110 degrees Celsius is 142.7 kPa.

Step 2: Apply Raoult's Law to the solution.
According to Raoult's Law, the partial pressure of ethylene glycol in the solution is given by the product of its mole fraction (x1) and the vapor pressure of pure ethylene glycol (P1). However, the vapor pressure of pure ethylene glycol is not mentioned in the question. Therefore, we need an additional piece of information to proceed.

If you have the vapor pressure of pure ethylene glycol at 110 degrees Celsius, you can use it here. Otherwise, you might need to consult a reference table or an experimentally determined data point for the vapor pressure of pure ethylene glycol at that temperature.

Step 3: Use the known vapor pressure of the solution to find the mole fraction of ethylene glycol.
Given in the question, the vapor pressure of the solution (containing water and ethylene glycol) at 110 degrees Celsius is 101.3 kPa.

Using Raoult's Law, we can set up the following equation:
P1 = P1^° * x1

Where P1 is the vapor pressure of the solution (101.3 kPa), P1^° is the vapor pressure of pure ethylene glycol (unknown), and x1 is the mole fraction of ethylene glycol in the solution.

To solve for x1, rearrange the equation:
x1 = P1 / P1^°

Without the value for P1^°, it is not possible to determine the mole fraction of ethylene glycol in the solution.

Therefore, to solve this problem, you will need the vapor pressure of pure ethylene glycol at 110 degrees Celsius.