Two beakers, each containing the same volume of water, are shown in a particulate…
CHEMISTRY · Multi-part · AP · Chemistry · Properties of Substances and Mixtures · Properties of Substances and Mixtures
Problem
Two beakers, each containing the same volume of water, are shown in a particulate diagram described below.
Beaker A: Many individual cations and anions are dispersed throughout the solvent. Oxygen atoms of surrounding water molecules are oriented toward the cations, and hydrogen atoms are oriented toward the anions.
Beaker B: Discrete, intact molecules of a solute are dispersed uniformly among water molecules. No separated ions are depicted, and hydrogen bonding is illustrated between the solute molecules and water.
The concentration of solute (in moles of formula units per liter) is identical in the two beakers.
(a) Describe the key differences between the solute–solvent interactions illustrated in Beaker A and Beaker B.
(b) Propose one plausible chemical formula for the solute in Beaker A and one plausible chemical formula for the solute in Beaker B. Explain how each formula is consistent with the particulate representation.
(c) If identical conductivity probes were immersed in each beaker, predict which beaker would produce the higher conductivity reading. Explain your reasoning in terms of the species present in solution.