The concentration of a certain ionic compound in aqueous solution is 0.186mol/L . It is only solute in the solution. The concentration of pottassium ions in the same solution ia 0.558mol/L. Explain why the concentrations of the ions in the solution are different. What might the ionic compound be?
The concentrations of ions in a solution can be different due to the presence of other ions or compounds. In this case, since the concentration of the ionic compound is given as 0.186 mol/L and it is the only solute, it means that this compound dissociates into two ions.
The compound must contain potassium ions (K+) since the concentration of potassium ions in the solution is given as 0.558 mol/L. This means that for every mole of the compound dissolved, it dissociates into one mole of potassium ions.
To determine the identity of the compound, we can calculate the ratio of the concentration of potassium ions to the concentration of the ionic compound. In this case, the ratio is:
Ratio = concentration of potassium ions / concentration of the ionic compound
= 0.558 mol/L / 0.186 mol/L
= 3
This ratio of 3 indicates that for every mole of the ionic compound dissolved, it produces 3 moles of potassium ions. Therefore, the ionic compound is likely to be a ternary compound, containing one potassium ion (K+) and two other ions.
Without further information, it is not possible to determine the exact identity of the ionic compound. However, based on the information provided, it can be inferred that the compound is likely to be a potassium salt of a polyatomic ion or a complex ion.
The concentrations of the ions in a solution can differ due to the stoichiometry of the ionic compound and its dissociation behavior.
In the case you mentioned, the concentration of the ionic compound is given as 0.186 mol/L, while the concentration of potassium ions is 0.558 mol/L. This tells us that when the ionic compound dissociates in water, it produces more potassium ions than the compound itself.
To determine the potential compound, we can consider the stoichiometry of the compound and the ions present in the solution. Since the concentration of the ionic compound is lower than that of the potassium ions, it suggests that the compound contains more than one potassium ion per molecule.
One possibility is potassium sulfate (K₂SO₄). In this compound, each molecule contains two potassium ions (K⁺) and one sulfate ion (SO₄²⁻). When it dissociates in water, each K₂SO₄ molecule will split into two K⁺ ions and one SO₄²⁻ ion. This means that for every K₂SO₄ molecule that dissolves, it produces two potassium ions while maintaining the same concentration of the ionic compound.
Other compounds with multiple potassium ions, such as potassium nitrate (KNO₃) or potassium carbonate (K₂CO₃), could also be potential candidates.
To confirm the exact identity of the ionic compound, additional information or experiments may be necessary.