What is the concentration of nitric acid in the solution?

14 dm^3 of nitric acid is mixed with 250 cm^3 of 3.0mol dm^-3 of calcium hydroxide, what is the concentration of nitric acid in the solution?

1 Answer
anor277
Jan 25, 2018

You have not laid out the starting conditions of the problem....

Explanation:

We assume that the nitric acid is NEUTRALIZED by the addition of the calcium hydroxide.

We need a stoichiometric equation:

Ca(OH)_2(aq) + 2HNO_3(aq) rarrCa(NO_3)_2(aq) + 2H_2O(l)

"Moles of calcium hydroxide"=250*cm^3xx10^-3*dm^3*cm^-3xx3*mol*dm^3=0.750*mol.

And so there are TWO equiv of nitric acid...that are dissolved in the 14*dm^3 volume...i.e. 1.50*mol

"Concentration"_"nitric acid"=(1.50*mol)/(14*dm^3)=0.107*mol*dm^-3

The question is poor, and does not reflect chemical reality. Calcium hydroxide is rather insoluble in aqueous solution, and would not support a concentration of 3.0*mol*dm^-3... You should point this out to your teacher for brownie points...

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