Question

Suppose that 0.323 g of an unknown sulfate salt is dissolved in 50 mL of water. The solution is acidified with 6M HCl, heated, and an excess of aqueous BaCl2 is slowly added to the mixture resulting in the formation of a white precipitate.
1. Assuming that 0.433 g of precipitate is recovered calculate the percent by mass of SO4 (2-) in the unknown salt.
2. If it is assumed that the salt is an alkali sulfate determine the identity of the alkali cation.

Answer 1

Answer:

1) 41.16 % = 0.182 grams

2) The alkali cation is K+ , to form the salt K2SO4

Explanation:

Step 1: Data given

Mass of unknown sulfate salt = 0.323 grams

Volume of water = 50 mL

Molarity of HCl = 6M

Step 2: The balanced equation

SO4^2- + BaCl2 → BaSO4 + 2Cl-

Step 3: Calculate amount of SO4^2- in BaSO4

The precipitate will be BaSO4

The amount of SO4^2- in BaSO4 = (Molar mass of SO4^2-/Molar mass BaSO4)*100 %

The amount of SO4^2- in BaSO4 = (96.06 /233.38) * 100

= 41.16%

So in 0.443g of BaSO4 there will be 0.443 * 41.16 % = 0.182 grams

2. If it is assumed that the salt is an alkali sulfate determine the identity of the alkali cation.

The unknown sulphate salt has 0.182g of sulphate. This means the alkali cation has a weight of 0.323-0.182 = 0.141g grams

An alkali cation has a chargoe of +1; sulphate has a charge of -2

The formula will be X2SO4 (with X = the unknown alkali metal).

Calculate moles of sulphate

Moles sulphate = 0.182 grams (32.1 + 4*16)

Moles sulphate = 0.00189 moles

The moles of sulphate = 0.182/(32.1+16*4)

The moles of sulphate = 0.00189 moles

X2SO4 → 2X+ + SO4^2-

For 2 moles cation we have 1 mol anion

For 0.00189 moles anion, we have 2*0.00189 = 0.00378 moles cation

Calculate molar mass

Molar mass = mass / moles

Molar mass = 0.141 grams / 0.00378 grams

Molar mass = 37.3 g/mol

The closest alkali metal is potassium. (K2SO4 )