TABLE 7-1

Activity coefficients for aqueous solutions at 25 C

Ion
Charge " 1
H
(C6H5 )2CHCO
2 , (C3H7 )4N
(O2N)3C6H2O, (C3H7 )3NH , CH3OC6H4CO
2



Li , C6H5CO
2 , HOC6H4CO2 , ClC6H4CO2 , C6H5CH2CO2 ,


CH2 CHCH2CO2 , (CH3 )2CHCH2CO2 , (CH3CH2 )4N , (C3H7 )2NH2

Cl2CHCO
2 , Cl3CCO2 , (CH3CH2 )3NH , (C3H7 )NH3





Na , CdCl , ClO2 , IO
3 , HCO3 , H2PO4 , HSO3 , H2AsO4 ,


Co(NH3 )4(NO2 )2 , CH3CO2 , ClCH2CO2 , (CH3 )4N ,
(CH3CH2 )2NH2 , H2NCH2CO
2
H3NCH2CO2H, (CH3 )3NH , CH3CH2NH3




OH, F, SCN, OCN, HS, ClO
3 , ClO4 , BrO3 , IO4 , MnO4 ,

HCO
,
H
citrate
,
CH
NH
,
(CH
)
NH
2
2
2
3
3
3 2

K , Cl, Br, I, CN, NO
2 , NO3
Rb , Cs , NH4 , Tl , Ag
Charge " 2
Mg2 , Be2

CH2(CH2CH2CO
2 )2, (CH2CH2CH2CO2 )2
2
2
2
2
2
2
Ca , Cu , Zn , Sn , Mn , Fe , Ni2 , Co2 , C6H4(CO
2 )2,

H2C(CH2CO
2 )2, (CH2CH2CO2 )2
2


Sr2 , Ba2 , Cd2 , Hg2 , S2, S2O2
4 , WO4 , H2C(CO2 )2, (CH2CO2 )2,
(CHOHCO
)
2 2
2
2
2
Pb2 , CO2
, Fe(CN)5NO2, C2O2
3 , SO3 , MoO4 , Co(NH3 )5Cl
4 ,
2
Hcitrate
2
2
2
2
2
2
Hg22 , SO2
4 , S2O3 , S2O6 , S2O8 , SeO4 , CrO4 , HPO4
Charge " 3
A13 , Fe3 , Cr3 , Sc3 , Y3 , In3 , lanthanidesa
citrate3
3
3
3
3
PO3
4 , Fe(CN)6 , Cr(NH3 )6 , Co(NH3 )6 , Co(NH3 )5H2O
Charge " 4
Th4 , Zr4 , Ce4 , Sn4
Fe(CN)4
6

Ion
size
(!, pm)

0.001

0.005

900
800
700

0.967
0.966
0.965

Activity coefficient ($)

0.933
0.914
0.86
0.931
0.912
0.85
0.930
0.909
0.845

0.83
0.82
0.81

600
500

0.965
0.964

0.929
0.928

0.907
0.904

0.835
0.83

0.80
0.79

450
400

0.964
0.964

0.928
0.927

0.902
0.901

0.82
0.815

0.775
0.77

350
300
250

0.964
0.964
0.964

0.76
0.755
0.75

800
700

0.872
0.872

0.926
0.900
0.81
0.925
0.899
0.805
0.924
0.898
0.80
Activity coefficient ($)
0.755
0.69
0.52
0.755
0.685
0.50

600

0.870

0.749

0.675

0.485

0.405

500

0.868

0.744

0.67

0.465

0.38

450
400

0.867
0.867

900
500
400

0.738
0.728
0.725

1 100
500

0.588
0.57

0.742
0.665
0.455
0.740
0.660
0.445
Activity coefficient ($)
0.54
0.445
0.245
0.51
0.405
0.18
0.505
0.395
0.16
Activity coefficient ($)
0.35
0.255
0.10
0.31
0.20
0.048

Ionic strength ( , M)
0.01

0.05

0.1

0.45
0.425

0.37
0.355
0.18
0.115
0.095
0.065
0.021

a. Lanthanides are elements 5771 in the periodic table.

SOURCE: J. Kielland, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1937, 59, 1675.

How to Interpolate
If you need to find an activity coefficient for an ionic strength that is between values in
Table 7-1, you can use Equation 7-6. Alternatively, in the absence of a spreadsheet, it not hard
to interpolate in Table 7-1. In linear interpolation, we assume that values between two entries
of a table lie on a straight line. For example, consider a table in which y ! 0.67 when x ! 10
and y ! 0.83 when x ! 20. What is the value of y when x ! 16?

Interpolation is the estimation of a number

that lies between two values in a table.
Estimating a number that lies beyond values
in a table is called extrapolation.

Unknown y interval

x value

y value

10
16
20

0.67
?
0.83

y = 0.83
y=?

Known x
interval

y = 0.67
x = 10

x = 16

x = 20

7-2

Activity Coefficients

147