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Thursday, 26 June 2025

Molar Conductivity Numerical

🔢 Numerical Problem: 


 The molar conductivity of a 0.01 M solution of acetic acid (CH₃COOH) is found to be 1.65 × 10⁻² S·m²·mol⁻¹. The molar conductivity at infinite dilution (Λ⁰) for acetic acid is 3.90 × 10⁻² S·m²·mol⁻¹. 

Calculate the degree of dissociation (α) of acetic acid in this solution. 


 ✅ Given: Molar conductivity (Λₘ) = 1.65 × 10⁻² S·m²·mol⁻¹ Molar conductivity at infinite dilution (Λ⁰) = 3.90 × 10⁻² S·m²·mol⁻¹ Molarity (C) = 0.01 mol·L⁻¹

 🧠 Formula Used: α = Λm / Λ0

Where: = degree of dissociation = molar conductivity at given concentration

= molar conductivity at infinite dilution 


 Solution: 

 α = (1.65 × 10−2) / (3.90 × 10−2)

 α = 1.65 / 3.90 = 0.423


 📘 Final Answer: 

 The degree of dissociation (α) of acetic acid = 0.423 or 42.3%
Degree of Dissociation (α) - Explained with Numericals

What is Degree of Dissociation?
Degree of dissociation (α) is the fraction of original molecules that dissociate into simpler species. It plays a vital role in chemical equilibrium, acid-base calculations, and ionic conductivity.

📗 1. Basic Formula

α = Moles dissociated / Initial moles
- α = 0 → No dissociation
- α = 1 → Complete dissociation
- For weak electrolytes, 0 < α < 1

🧪 2. Numerical Example

Q: 1 mole of AB₂ dissociates partially. At equilibrium, 0.42 mol of AB₂ remains. Calculate α.
Given: Initial = 1 mol, Remaining = 0.42 mol
Dissociated = 1 - 0.42 = 0.58 mol
So, α = 0.58 / 1 = 0.58

📘 3. RD Kit Integration

RDKit is a powerful cheminformatics library used for molecular representation, SMILES parsing, and chemical computations. Learn more at:

🔗 RDKit Documentation

📐 4. Useful Formulas

  • Ka = Cα² for weak acids
  • α = √(Ka / C) derived from Ostwald’s Dilution Law
  • Equilibrium expressions use α for pressure, moles, or volume shifts

📊 5. Comparison Table

CompoundTypeApprox. α
HClStrong Acid1
CH₃COOHWeak Acid~0.05
NH₄OHWeak Base~0.01
H₂SO₄ (1st Step)Strong Acid1

🧪 6. Real-Life Applications

  • Calculating pH of weak acids
  • Design of buffer solutions
  • Controlling industrial reaction yields
  • Electrolytic conductivity & salt hydrolysis

📝 7. Practice Question

📌 8. Concept Map

Initial Moles → Change using α → Equilibrium Moles → Apply Ka/Kp → Calculate α

📗 9. Related Topics

💡 10. Tip for Students

Always write the dissociation reaction clearly before applying α.
Use ICE (Initial–Change–Equilibrium) tables for better clarity.

🎯 11. You Can Try This Experiment

If you use a weak acid like acetic acid and test conductivity in distilled vs. tap water, you can observe differences due to partial dissociation.

🧠 12. Summary

Degree of dissociation (α) is crucial for solving equilibrium, ionic strength, and acid-base calculations. Knowing how to use α simplifies many numerical questions in physical chemistry.

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