What volume of 0.20M Ca(OH)2 will neutralize 45.0 mL of a 1M solution of HClO3?

1 Answer
Mar 27, 2018

Well, the "Ca"("OH")_2 will not all dissolve... so your question is problematic.

If you add "HClO"_3 into "Ca"("OH")_2 while mixing THOROUGHLY so that extra solid dissolves, then this problem may be more possible by Le Chatelier's principle (basic salts dissolve better in acidic solution), but if you add "0.20 M" "Ca"("OH")_2 into "HClO"_3, that requires that the base FULLY dissolved first...

And so if you grab such a SATURATED solution, you only get "0.011 M", and extra solid sinks to the bottom of the container you sourced it from.


The K_(sp) of "Ca"("OH")_2 is 5.5 xx 10^(-6), whose mass action expression is

5.5 xx 10^(-6) = ["Ca"^(2+)]["OH"^(-)]^2 = s(2s)^2 = 4s^3

So, the solubility s is:

s = ((5.5xx10^(-6))/4)^(1//3) = "0.011 M"

Thus, the maximum concentration you can have is "0.011 M", and the rest is well, a SOLID. The reaction is:

"Ca"("OH")_2(aq) + 2"HClO"_3(aq) -> 2"H"_2"O"(l) + "Ca"("ClO"_3)_2(aq)

In that volume of "HClO"_3 you have:

"1 M" cdot "0.045 L" = "0.045 mols HClO"_3 = "0.045 mols H"^(+)

which react with

0.045 cancel("mols OH"^(-)) xx ("1 mol Ca"("OH")_2)/cancel("2 mols OH"^(-)) = "0.0225 mols Ca"("OH")_2

Therefore, in "0.011 M" of it, you would need

"1 L"/(0.011 cancel"mol") xx 0.0225 cancel"mols" = color(blue)(ul"2.05 L")

It sounds absolutely absurd, but "Ca"("OH")_2 is NOT that strong of a strong base...

And in this "2.05 L", there would have been "28.71 g" of "Ca"("OH")_2(s) that did NOT dissolve, that then falls back into the bottom of the container you sourced it from.