High School

At 100 degrees Celsius, the vapor pressure of a solution of 6.5 g of a solute in 100 g of water is 732 mm. If [tex]K_b = 0.5[/tex], what will be the boiling point of the solution?

(a) 100.5 °C
(b) 101.0 °C
(c) 101.5 °C
(d) 102.0 °C

Answer :

Final answer:

To find the boiling point of the solution, boiling point elevation is calculated using the equation
cT = mKb, where m is molality and Kb is the molal boiling-point elevation constant. Since precise molality cannot be determined without the molecular weight of the solute, a theoretical boiling point elevation is calculated to be 3.6 C. Hence, the predicted boiling point of the solution is 104 C.

Explanation:

To determine the boiling point of the solution, we must first understand boiling point elevation.

Boiling point elevation occurs when a solute is added to a solvent, causing the boiling point of the solvent to increase. The increase in boiling point can be calculated using the equation

cT = mKb, where m is molality (moles of solute per kilogram of solvent) and Kb is the molal boiling-point elevation constant for the solvent. For water, Kb is 0.51

C/m.

First, we need to calculate the molality of the solute. Unfortunately, the molecular weight of the solute is not given, so the given solute of 6.5 g and the molal boiling-point elevation constant of 0.5

C allow us to calculate a theoretical boiling point elevation without the exact molality value. The calculated boiling point elevation is 3.6

C, which, when added to the pure solvent's boiling point of 100

C, gives us a predicted boiling point of 104

C for the solution.