How many ml of concentrated (18M) of sulfuric acid H2SO4 are required to prepare 500 ml of 2M H2SO4

How many ml of concentrated (18M) of sulfuric acid H2SO4 are required to prepare 500 ml of 2M H2SO4

The Correct Answer and Explanation is :

To calculate the amount of concentrated sulfuric acid (18M) required to prepare 500 mL of 2M sulfuric acid solution, we use the dilution formula:

[
C_1V_1 = C_2V_2
]

Where:

  • ( C_1 ) = concentration of the stock solution (18M)
  • ( V_1 ) = volume of the stock solution to be used (in mL, what we need to find)
  • ( C_2 ) = concentration of the diluted solution (2M)
  • ( V_2 ) = volume of the diluted solution (500 mL)

Step 1: Rearrange the formula to solve for ( V_1 ):

[
V_1 = \frac{C_2V_2}{C_1}
]

Step 2: Plug in the known values:

[
V_1 = \frac{2 \, \text{M} \times 500 \, \text{mL}}{18 \, \text{M}}
]

Step 3: Perform the calculation:

[
V_1 = \frac{1000}{18} = 55.56 \, \text{mL}
]

Final Answer:

You need 55.56 mL of concentrated sulfuric acid (18M) to prepare 500 mL of 2M sulfuric acid solution.


Explanation:

The dilution equation ensures that the total number of moles of solute in the concentrated solution matches the total moles in the diluted solution. ( C_1 ) and ( C_2 ) represent molarity (moles of solute per liter), while ( V_1 ) and ( V_2 ) represent the respective volumes.

When diluting sulfuric acid, always add the acid to water, not the other way around. This prevents a violent exothermic reaction. In this calculation, ( V_1 ) (55.56 mL) represents the volume of 18M sulfuric acid to be carefully measured and added to enough water to reach a total volume of 500 mL.

This method ensures the desired molarity while maintaining safety and precision in preparing the solution.

Scroll to Top