Question #87990

1 Answer
May 14, 2015

Here's what I got.

Explanation:

!! EXTREMELY LONG ANSWER !!

So, you're titrating hypochlorous acid, a weak acid, with potassium hydroxide, a strong base. The pH of the solution at those specific points in the titration will be

  • Before adding any KOHKOH

Right from the get-go, since you're dealing with a weak acid, you can expect the pH of the solution to be acidic.

The hypochlorous acid will react with water molecules to form hydronium ions, "H"_3"O"^(+)H3O+, and hypochlorite ions, "ClO"^(-)ClO, establishing an equilibrium in the process. Use an ICE table to determine the concentration of the hydronium ions in solution

HClO_((aq)) + H_2O_((l)) " "rightleftharpoons" " H_3O_((aq))^(+) " "+" " ClO_((aq))^(-)HClO(aq)+H2O(l) H3O+(aq) + ClO(aq)

color(purple)("I")" " 0.150" " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " "0" " " " " " " " " " " " " "0I 0.150 0 0
color(purple)("C")" "(-x)" " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " "(+x)" " " " " " " "(+x)C (x) (+x) (+x)
color(purple)("E")" "0.150-x" " " " " " " " " " " " " " " "x" " " " " " " " " " " "xE 0.150x x x

By definition, the acid dissociation constant, K_aKa, will be equal to

K_a = (["H"_3"O"^(+)] * ["ClO"^(-)])/(["HClO"]) = (x * x)/(0.150 - x) = x^2/(0.150 - x)Ka=[H3O+][ClO][HClO]=xx0.150x=x20.150x

Because K_aKa is so small, you can approximate (0.150 - x) with 0.150. This means that you'll get

K_a = x^2/0.150 = 4.0 * 10^(-8) => x = 7.75 * 10^(-5)Ka=x20.150=4.0108x=7.75105

This will be equal to the concentration of hydronium ions

["H"_3"O"^(+)] = 7.75 * 10^(-5)"M"[H3O+]=7.75105M

The pH of the solution will be

pH_"sol" = -log(["H"_3"O"^(+)]) = -log(7.75 * 10^(-5)) = color(green)(4.11)pHsol=log([H3O+])=log(7.75105)=4.11

  • After you add 25 mL of KOHKOH

Potassium hydroxide will react with the hypochlorous acid to produce hypochlorite ions. In the process, some of the weak acid will be consumed, along with the added strong base.

HClO_((aq)) + KOH_((aq)) -> KClO_((aq)) + H_2O_((l))HClO(aq)+KOH(aq)KClO(aq)+H2O(l)

Calculate the number of moles of "HClO"HClO you initially had in solution by using its molarity and volume

color(blue)(C = n/V => n = C *V)C=nVn=CV

n_(HClO) = 50.0 * 10^(-3)"L" * "0.150 M" = "0.0075 moles HClO"nHClO=50.0103L0.150 M=0.0075 moles HClO

The number of moles of potassium hydroxide will be

n_(KOH) = C * V = 25 * 10^(-3)"L" * "0.150 M" = "0.00375 moles KOH"nKOH=CV=25103L0.150 M=0.00375 moles KOH

According to the balanced chemical equation, 1 mole of "KOH"KOH will consume 1 mole of "HClO"HClO and produce 1 mole of "ClO"^(-)ClO.

This means that the solution will now contain

n_(HClO) = 0.0075 - 0.00375 = "0.00375 moles HClO"nHClO=0.00750.00375=0.00375 moles HClO

n_(KOH) = 0nKOH=0

n_(ClO^(-)) = "0.00375 moles ClO"^(-)nClO=0.00375 moles ClO

This is the buffer region, i.e. at this point in the titration, your solution contains a weak acid, "HClO"HClO, and its conjugate base, "ClO"^(-)ClO.

This means that you can use the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation to solve for the pH of the solution. Determine the concentration of the species present first

["HClO"] = n/V_"total" = "0.00375 moles"/((50.0 + 25) * 10^(-3)"L") = "0.0500 M"[HClO]=nVtotal=0.00375 moles(50.0+25)103L=0.0500 M

["ClO"^(-)] = ["HClO"] = "0.0500 M"[ClO]=[HClO]=0.0500 M

The pK_apKa will be equal to

pK_a = -log(K_a) = -log(4.0 * 10^(-8)) = 7.4pKa=log(Ka)=log(4.0108)=7.4

Therefore,

pH_"sol" = pK_a + log(([ClO^(-)])/([HClO]))pHsol=pKa+log([ClO][HClO])

pH_"sol" = 7.4 + log((cancel("0.0500 M"))/(cancel("0.0500 M"))) = color(green)(7.4)

When "pH" = pK_a, you've reached the half-equivalence point of the titration.

  • After adding 40 mL of KOH

This is equivalent to adding an extra 15 mL of strong base. The number of moles of base added will be

n_(KOH) = C * V = "0.150 M" * 15 * 10^(-3)"L" = "0.00225 moles KOH"

The number of moles of "HClO" left in solution will be

n_(HClO) = 0.00375 - 0.00225 = "0.0015 moles HClO"

At the same time,

n_(KOH) = 0

n_(ClO^(-)) = 0.00375 + 0.00225 = "0.00600 moles ClO"^(-)

The concentrations of the two species will be

["HClO"] = "0.0015"/((75 + 15) * 10^(-3)"L") = "0.0167 M"

["ClO"^(-)] = "0.00600 moles"/((75 + 15) * 10^(-3)"L") = "0.0667 M"

The pH of the solution will be

pH_"sol" = 7.4 + log((0.0667cancel("M"))/(0.0167cancel("M"))) = color(green)(8.00)

  • After adding 50 mL of KOH

This is equivalent to adding another 10 mL of "KOH". Once again,

n_(KOH) = 10.0 * 10^(-3)"L" * "0.150 M" = "0.0015 moles KOH"

This time, all of the weak acid will be consumed and you'll be left with its conjugate base, "ClO"^(-).

n_(HClO) = 0.0015 - 0.0015 = 0

n_(KOH) = 0

n_(ClO^(-)) = 0.00600 + 0.0015 = "0.0075 moles ClO"^(-)

The concentration of the hypochlorite ions will be

[ClO^(-)] = "0.0075 moles"/((90 + 10) * 10^(-3)"L") = "0.0750 M"

This time, the hypochlorite ion will react with water to reform some of the hypochlorous acid, "HClO", and produce hydroxide ions, "OH"^(-), according to the following equilibrium reaction

ClO_((aq))^(-) + H_2O_((l)) " "rightleftharpoons" " OH_((aq))^(-) " "+" " HClO_((aq))

color(purple)("I")" " 0.0759" " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " "0" " " " " " " " " " " " " "0
color(purple)("C")" "(-x)" " " " " " " " " " " " " " " "(+x)" " " " " " " "(+x)
color(purple)("E")color(white)(a)0.0759-x" " " " " " " " " " " " " " " "x" " " " " " " " " " " "x

This time, use the base dissociation constant, K_b, to determine the concentration of the hydroxide ions.

K_b = K_W/K_a = 10^(-14)/(4.0 * 10^(-8)) = 2.5 * 10^(-7)

K_b = ([OH^(-)] * [HClO])/([ClO^(-)]) = x^2/(0.0750) => x = 1.37 * 10^(-4)

The pOH of the solution will be

pOH = -log([OH^(-)]) = -log(1.37 * 10^(-4)) = 3.86

As a result, the pH of the solution will be

pH_"sol" = 14 - pOH = 14 - 3.86 = color(green)(10.14)

This will be the pH of the solution at equivalence point. Notice that the complete neutralization of the acid leaves you with its conjugate base present in solution.

Since the solution now contains a weak base, you can expect the pH to be greater than 7, which is what happens here.

  • After adding 60 mL of KOH

Once again, this is equivalent to adding another 10 mL of strong base. Once again, the strong base will react with the newly formed weak acid.

The number of moles of hypochlorous acid present in solution will be

n = C * V = 1.37 * 10^(-4)"M" * 100 * 10^(-3)"L" = "0.0000137 moles"

The number of moles of "KOH" you add will once again be equal to 0.0015. This means that you'll get

n_(HClO) = 0

n_(OH^(-)) = 0.0015 - 0.0000137 = "0.001486 moles OH"^(-)

The concentration of hydroxide ions will thus be

["OH"^(-)] = "0.001486 moles"/((100 + 10) * 10^(-3)"L") = "0.0135 M"

The pOH will be

pOH = -log(0.0135) = 1.87

As a result, the pH of the final solution will be

pH_"sol" = 14 - pOH = 14 - 1.87 = color(green)(12.13)