If a thermometer is miscalibrated to read 1.0 degrees Celsius higher than the actual temperature over its entire scale, will the reported molar mass of the solute be:
a. Too high
b. Too low
c. The same?
The same... There will be no affect?
In what experiment? In a depression of freezing point or elevation of boiling point it won't matter since you measure only the difference. But it will matter in other experiments.
too high
The reported molar mass of the solute will be too high.
To determine whether the reported molar mass of the solute will be affected by a miscalibrated thermometer, we need to understand the relationship between temperature and molar mass.
The molar mass of a substance is the mass of one mole of that substance, typically expressed in grams. It is calculated by dividing the mass of the substance by the number of moles.
Temperature measurements are not directly related to molar mass, but temperature can affect the density of a substance. If the molar mass of a solute is determined by measuring its density and temperature, a miscalibrated thermometer can potentially affect the reported molar mass.
In this case, if the thermometer is consistently reading 1.0 degrees Celsius higher than the actual temperature, it means that the measured temperature is artificially higher. As a result, the density of the solute may be calculated to be lower than its actual density. A lower density value would lead to a lower molar mass calculation.
Therefore, the reported molar mass of the solute will be too low, not the same. The correct answer is "b. Too low."
It is important to note that this explanation assumes the molar mass is determined based on the solute's density and temperature. Other methods of determining molar mass, such as using the ideal gas law or other experimental techniques, may not be influenced by temperature measurement errors.