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In the Laboratory
Calculating a Kb Value
If the students know the concentration of the NH3/
NH4OH solution and the initial pH of the NH3/NH4OH
solution, they can calculate a value for the base-ionization
constant, Kb. For the 0.1000 M NH3/NH4OH solution with
an initial pH of 11.25, the Kb value is 3.2 10-5. Sample
calculations using our data appear in the supporting information.
This is close to the accepted value (1.8 10-5) appearing in
general chemistry textbooks (13). Students should be told that a
calculated equilibrium constant within 1 order of magnitude of
the accepted answer is usually considered to be good. If the
instructor is interested in having students calculate the percent
error for their answer, students should be asked to calculate the
percent error for the pKb value and not the Kb. For our answer
above, the percent error for Kb is 77%; the percent error for the
pKb value is 5%.
An equilibrium constant with a negative exponent tells
students that the reaction is reactant favored and should have
more reactant species (ammonia and water molecules) than
product species (ammonium and hydroxide ions). Therefore,
this solution should be called aqueous ammonia.
Calculating the Percent Ionization Using pH Data
At this point, the students already have the information
needed to calculate the percent ionization of the NH3/NH4OH
solution;the total NH3/NH4OH concentration and the concentration of the hydroxide ion in the NH3/NH4OH solution.
The percent ionization is calculated as the concentration of
NH3/NH4OH that has ionized (equal to the concentration of
OH- ions calculated from the pH of the NH3/NH4OH
solution) divided by the total concentration of the NH3/
NH4OH solution, multiplied by 100%. For the 0.1000 M
NH3/NH4OH solution with a pH of 11.25, the percent
ionization of the NH3/NH4OH solution is 1.8% (98.2% unionized). Sample calculations using our data appear in the
supporting information. This result implies that this solution
should be called aqueous ammonia and not ammonium hydroxide, which is consistent with the other two pH methods.
Comparing Electrical Conductivity Values
The electrical conductivity values for the air (38 S cm-1)
and the pure water (34 S cm-1) represent the value expected for
a solution containing no ions. The electrical conductivity of
methanol (34 S cm-1), a neutral molecule not expected to
produce ions, matches these values. The electrical conductivity of
sodium hydroxide (21,557 S cm-1), on the other hand,
represents the electrical conductivity of a 0.100 M solution of
a 1:1 ionic compound at 100% ionization. The electrical conductivity for the NH3/NH4OH solution is only 496 S cm-1,
bigger than the value of 34 S cm-1 for the nonconducting
solutions, but much smaller than the 21,557 S cm-1 value for
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In the Laboratory
ions, and all agreed that the base solution should be named
ammonia or aqueous ammonia.
We have included some student comments from their lab
reports below. Although this field-test did not specifically address
the concept or measurement of electrical conductivity, a few
students did mention it in their lab reports.
These three methods complement each other and all reinforce
the fact that the solution should be called ammonia. The initial
method showed us that we were dealing with a weak base. The
Kb value told us we had grater quantities of reactants than
products, and the percent dissociation [ionization] told us that
the majority of the ammonia ions [sic] did not fall apart, or
dissociate.
In this experiment I was able to practice my titration skills and
learn a few things about how pH and equilibrium constants
relate to a practical question such as what to name the base
solution we used in today's lab. The questions really made me
think about how these different methods help us see that the
base solution was mostly ammonia and water.
Finally, because the base did not greatly dissociate and because
we found that the base solution was weak, I would not expect the
base solution to conduct electricity very well.
Hazards
Ammonia, hydrochloric acid, and sodium hydroxide are
corrosive, cause skin burns, and are harmful or fatal if swallowed
or inhaled. Methanol is flammable and is harmful if swallowed or
absorbed through the skin. Potassium hydrogen phthalate can
cause skin and eye irritation.
Summary
The five comparison or calculation methods used in this
laboratory experiment consistently point to the fact that aqueous
solutions of NH3/NH4OH contain neutral ammonia (and
water) molecules at a much higher concentration compared to
ammonium and hydroxide ions. As a result, students should
conclude that these samples are more accurately called aqueous
ammonia rather than ammonium hydroxide. A major advantage
of this lab is that it allows students to make multiple comparisons
to answer the same question, and instructors may choose to use
some or all of these methods in their laboratory experiments, as
time allows.
Literature Cited
Bertie, J. E.; Morrison, M. M. J. Chem. Phys. 1980, 73, 48324837.
Bertie, J. E.; Shehata, M. R. J. Chem. Phys. 1984, 81, 2730.
Yoke, J. J. Chem. Educ. 1989, 66, 310.
Tuttle, T. R., Jr. J. Chem. Educ. 1991, 68, 533.
Yoke, J. T. J. Chem. Educ. 1991, 68, 533.
Kauffman, G. B. J. Chem. Educ. 1991, 68, 534.
Hawkes, S. J. J. Chem. Educ. 2004, 81, 1569.
Verdini, R. A.; Lagier, C. M. J. Chem. Educ. 2004, 81, 14821485.
Last, A. M. J. Chem. Educ. 1998, 75, 1121.
Kalbus, L. H.; Petrucci, R. H.; Kalbus, G. E. J. Chem. Educ. 1976,
53, 719.
11. Harris, D. C. Quantitative Chemical Analysis, 7th ed.; Freeman:
New York, 2007; pp 122-125.
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