Posted by Kat on Monday, March 2, 2009 at 11:21am.
A solution of volume 80.0 mL contains 16.0 mmol HCHO2 and 9.00 mmol NaCHO2.
If 1.00 ml of 12 M HCl is added to this, what will be the resulting pH?
Responses
* CHEM HELP...PLEASE!! - DrBob222, Monday, March 2, 2009 at 1:25pm
Use the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation.
pH = pKa + log (base/acid)
First, however, you need to make some adjustments to the acid/base because you have added some HCl to it.
HCOOH = 16.0 mmole initially.
HCOONa = 9.00 mmol initially. Adding 1.00 mL of 12 M HCl adds 12 x 1 = 12 mmole (is that 12 or 12.0 or 12.00 mmole?) to this base. Therefore, 9.00 + 12.0 = 21.0 mmole base.
pH = pKa + log[(21.0)/(16.0)] = ??
If your prof is picky, s/he will not like this BECAUSE (base) and (acid) are concentrations and not mmols. Technically, then, the concn is mmols/mL = 21.0/81.0 for (base) and 16.00/81.0 for (acid) so the equation is
pH = pKa + log[(21.0/81.0)/(16.0/81.0)] = ??. You will note that the 81.0 mL volume cancels and some profs just don't put it there. I ALWAYS counted off for not including the volume; however, since it ALWAYS cancels, I would allow the student to use V as in
pH = pKa + log [(21.0/v)/(16.0/v)] = ??. That way the student let me know that a volume went there but it would cancel and never entered into the calculation.
* CHEM HELP...PLEASE!! - Kat, Monday, March 2, 2009 at 10:00pm
Sorry, there's one thing I don't understand. If an acid is being added to a buffer solution, shouldn't the pH decrease? By following your method, the answer I'm getting is greater than the original pH.
3 answers
The 12 mmoles HCl added uses ALL of the HCOONa and leaves 3 mmoles HCl in excess.
The 9 mmoles HCOONa has changed to HCOOH and there is now 16 + 9 = 25 mmoles HCOOH (and no HCOONa). So the pH is that of 25 mmoles HCOOH in 81 mL + 3 mmoles HCl in 81 mL. I would use the excess HCl as a common ion to determine the (H^+) contributed by HCOOH to the solution in the presence of HCl, then add it to the (H^+) from the excess HCl. The H^+ contributed by HCOOH may be small enough to neglect but I didn't work it out. In other words, I don't think you have a buffer after the HCl is added.
HCOOH + H2O <---> HCOO- + H3O+
I 16.00 9.00
I 12.00
C +9.00 -9.00 -9.00
E 25.00 0 3.00
HCOOH + H2O <---> HCOO- + H3O+
I 25.00 0 0
I 3.00
C -x +x +x
E 25 -x x 3+x
(3+x)x
Ka = ------- = 1.8*10^-4
25-x
Assume x is very small, then x = 0.0015
So, [H30+] = (3+x)mmol / 81ml
= (3 + 0.0015)mmol / 81 ml
= 3.0015mol / 81 ml
= 0.03706 M
And pH = -log[H30+]
= 1.43
I know the technicalities are pretty badly used here, but does my answer make sense?
My answer was similar but slightly different.
3 mmol H^+ from HCl.
Ka = 1.77 x 10^-4 (note slightly differnt Ka) = (H^+)(formate)/(HFormate)
Substitute 3/81 for (H^+) and (25/81 for (Hformate; i.e., formic acid) and solve for formate ion. I get 0.00147 M which is essentially your answer if we used the same Ka value I think.
Then I converted to moles.
moles H^+ from formic acid = 0.00147 x 81 mL = 0.119 mmoles.
moles from HCl = 3 mmoles.
Add to get 3.119 mmoles
Then 3.119 mmoles/81 mL = 0.0385 M
pH = 1.41 which is very close to your answer. Both of us neglected the quadratic if we had solved the Ka with formic acid exactly. The numerator would have been 0.00147 + 0.03704 (we just used 0.03704) and the denominator would have been (0.003086-0.00147)(I used 0.03086 and that could make a difference. A better solution would be to solve that quadratic. In any case, watch the significant figures in the final result.