What is the ratio of the activities of Zn 2+ and Pb 2+ in a solution that is in equilibrium with respect to sphalerite and galena?disregard hydrolysis effect
To determine the ratio of the activities of Zn2+ and Pb2+, we need to consider the equilibrium constant expression for the reaction between sphalerite (ZnS) and galena (PbS).
The balanced equation for the reaction is:
ZnS (s) + PbS (s) ⇌ Zn2+ (aq) + Pb2+ (aq) + 2S2- (aq)
The equilibrium constant expression, K, is written as:
K = [Zn2+] * [Pb2+] / [S2-]^2
However, we are instructed to disregard the hydrolysis effect. This means that the activities of Zn2+ and Pb2+ are equal to their respective concentrations. Hence, we can write the simplified equilibrium constant expression without considering activities:
K = [Zn2+] * [Pb2+]
Since K is a constant, we can rearrange the equation to solve for the ratio of the activities of Zn2+ and Pb2+:
[Zn2+] / [Pb2+] = K
To obtain the value of K, you would need to refer to a reliable source or perform an experiment to measure the equilibrium concentration of Zn2+ and Pb2+. Once you have the value of K, you can calculate the ratio by dividing the concentration of Zn2+ by the concentration of Pb2+.