GENERAL CHEMISTRY 2

Name:__________________________ Grade Level:___________

Date:___________________________ Score:________________

LEARNING ACTIVITY SHEET

WAYS OF EXPRESSING CONCENTRATION OF SOLUTIONS

Background Information for the Learners (BIL)

The term solution is used in Chemistry to describe a homogeneous mixture in

which at least one substance (the solute) is dissolved in another substance (the
solvent). The solvent is the substance in greater quantity and the name of the of the
solution is taken from the name of the solute. For example, when sodium chloride is
dissolved in water, sodium chloride is the solute, and water is the solvent, and the
solution is called a sodium chloride solution.

There are different methods of expressing solution concentrations namely;

Molarity, Molality, Percent by Mass, Percent by Volume, Mole fraction and Parts Per
Million. These methods are used to express relative amounts of solute and solvent in
a solution. In other words, the concentration of a solution is the amount of solute
present in a given amount of solvent, or a given amount of solution.

Percent by Mass

The Percent by Mass (also called percent by weight or weight percent) is the ratio
of the mass of a solute to the mass of the solution, multiplied by 100 percent:

Percent by Mass = Mass of solute

X 100%
Mass of solute + Mass of solvent

120
NOTE: Practice personal hygiene protocols at all times
Or,

Mass of solute
Percent by Mass = X 100%
Total mass of Solution

Let us consider the examples below;

Example 1: In a solution prepared by dissolving 24g of Sodium Chloride

(NaCl) in 152g of water, what is the mass percent of Sodium
Chloride (NaCl)?

Solution: First, identify the given.

Given: Solute = 24g of NaCl

Solvent = 152g of Water

Second, identify the unknown or what is being asked in the

problem.

Unknown = Percent by Mass of NaCl.

Third, write the formula and calculate the unknown.

Mass of solute
Percent by Mass = X 100%
Mass of solute + Mass of solvent

24g NaCl
Percent by Mass of NaCl= X 100%
24g NaCl + 152g Water

24g
Percent by Mass of NaCl= X 100% = 14%
176g

121
NOTE: Practice personal hygiene protocols at all times
 Example 2: A sample of 0.892 g of potassium chloride (KCl) is dissolved
in 54.6 g of water. What is the percent by mass of KCl in the
solution?

Solution: First, identify the given.

Given: Solute = 0.892g of KCl

Solvent = 54.6g of water

Second, identify the unknown or what is being asked in the

problem.

Unknown = Percent by Mass of KCl.

Third, write the formula and calculate the unknown.

Mass of solute
Percent by Mass = X 100%
Percent by Mass =Mass of solute + Mass of solvent

0.892g of KCl
Percent by Mass of KCl= X 100%
0.892g of Cl + 54.6g of Water

Percent by Mass of KCl= 0.892g

X 100% = 1.61%
55.492g

Percent by Volume

Percent by Volume or Volume Percent is a common expression used for

expressing concentration. It is related to the molar concentration but the difference is
that the volume percent is expressed with a denominator of 100. It is used for reporting
concentration of liquids solutes in solution. It is also called %V/V and it is always
expressed as percentage (%) and the units of the volume should be in mL. . Percent

122
NOTE: Practice personal hygiene protocols at all times
by volume is also widely use in pharmaceutical field for expressing the concentration
of different components in solution.

Volume of solute
Percent Volume = X 100%
Volume of solute +Volume of solvent

Or,

Volume of solute
Percent Volume = X 100%
Total Volume of Solution

Let us consider the examples below;

Example 1: A solution of propanol (CH3CH2CH2OH) is prepared by

dissolving 67 mL in enough water to have a final volume of 250
mL. What is the volume percent of the propanol?

Solution: First, identify the given.

Given: Solute = 67mL propanol

Solution = 250mL

Second, identify the unknown or what is being asked in the

problem.

Unknown = Percent Volume of Propanol

123
NOTE: Practice personal hygiene protocols at all times
 Third, write the formula and calculate the unknown.

Volume of solute
Percent Volume = X 100%
Total Volume of Solution

Percent Volume = 67 mL
X 100% = 26.8%
250mL

Example 2: How many mL of HNO3 concentrate are needed to prepare

250 mL of solution 4%?

Solution: First, identify the given

Given: solution = 250mL

Volume = 4 percent by

Second, identify the unknown or what is being asked in the

problem.

Unknown = Volume of solute (HNO3)

Third, write the formula and calculate the unknown. But in this
case we have to derive the formula.

From the mother formula;

Volume of solute
Percent Volume = X 100%
Total Volume of Solution

124
NOTE: Practice personal hygiene protocols at all times
 To derived formula to get the volume of solute.
(Percent by Volume) (Volume of Solution)
Volume of Solute =
100%

Thus,

Volume of Solute = (4%) (250mL)

= 10mL
100%

Parts per Million

When the amount of solute is very small, as with trace impurities in water,
concentration is often expressed in parts per million.

PPM is a term used in chemistry to denote a very, very low concentration of a

solution. One gram in 1000 ml is 1000 ppm and one thousandth of a gram (0.001g) in
1000 ml is one ppm. Parts Per Million (ppm) is a measurement of the concentration of
a solution.

Gram of Solute X 106

Parts per Million =
Gram of Solution

Let us consider the examples below;

Example 1: What is the concentration of a solution in parts per million, if

0.02 grams of NaCl is dissolved in 1000 grams of solution?

Solution: First, identify the given.

Given: Solute = 0.02g of NaCl

Solution = 1000g

125
NOTE: Practice personal hygiene protocols at all times
 Second, identify the unknown or what is being asked in the
problem.

Unknown = Concentration in parts per million

Third, write the formula and calculate the unknown

Gram of Solute X 106

Parts per Million =
Gram of Solution

0.02 grams X 106 = 20 ppm

Parts per Million =
1000 grams

Example 2: What is the total mass of solute in 1000g of a solution having

a concentration of 5ppm?

Solution: First, identify the given

Given: Solution = 1000 grams

Concentration in ppm = 5ppm

Second, identify the unknown or what is being asked in the

problem.

Unknown = Mass of Solute

Third, write the formula and calculate the unknown. But in this
case we have to derive the formula.

126
NOTE: Practice personal hygiene protocols at all times
From the mother formula;
Gram of Solute
Parts per Million = X 106
Gram of Solution

To derived formula to get the unknown which is the mass of solute.

(ppm) (gram of solution)

Gram of Solute =
1000000

Thus,

( 5 ppm) (1000 grams)

Gram of Solute = = .005g
1000000

Mole Fraction

It is a dimensionless quantity that expresses the ratio of the number of moles

of one component to the number of moles of all components present. For a mixture of
two substances, A and B, the mole fractions of each would be written as follows:

Mole fraction of component A: mol A

XA =
mol A + mol B

mol B
Mole fraction of component B:
XB =mol A + mol B

In general, the mole fraction of component “i” in a mixture is given by;

ni
Xi =
nT

127
NOTE: Practice personal hygiene protocols at all times
where ni and nT are the number of moles of component i and the total number of
moles present, respectively. The mole fraction is always smaller than 1.

*The mole fraction is unitless or dimensionless because it is a ratio of two similar

quantities*

Let us consider the examples below;

Example 1: 0.100 mole of NaCl is dissolved into 100.0 grams of pure H 2O.
What is the mole fraction of NaCl? What is the mole fraction of
H2O?

Solution: First, identify the given

Given: 0.100 mole of NaCl

100.0 grams of pure H2O

Second, identify the unknown or what is being asked in the

problem.

Unknown: mole fraction of H2O.

*Note that the component being asked in the problem is the water (H 2O) component,
but as you may notice, the unit of water as stated in the problem is in grams. Before
you can finally input the all the given in the formula you have to make sure that units
to be used are appropriate. Since we are dealing with mole fraction, we have to
convert 100 grams of H2O into moles using the molar mass of H2O (18g/mol).*

Converting 100 grams of water into moles:

(1 mol H2O)
(100 grams of H2O) X = 5.56mol H2O
(18.0g H2O)

128
NOTE: Practice personal hygiene protocols at all times
 Third, write the formula and calculate the unknown.

ni
Xi =
nT

5.56 mol
Xi = = 0.982
5.66 mol

Example 2: A solution is prepared by mixing 25.0 grams of water and 25.0

grams of ethanol (C2H5OH). Determine the mole fractions of
each substance.

Solution: First, identify the given

Given: 25 grams of water

25 grams of ethanol

*As you may notice, all the given are in grams. You may think that you could solve
right away for the mole fraction since you will arrive in a unit less answer. But that is
not how it works in mole fraction because mole fraction deals with moles, and so we
need to convert this grams into moles first before we can be able to get the mole
fraction. In converting the given grams to moles, refer to the method shown in
example 1 and the molar mass of the substance can be summed up using the mass
of the atoms in that given substance.*

Thus, 25 grams of water = 1.34 mol of water

25 grams of ethanol = 0.543 mole of ethanol

Second, identify the unknown or what is being asked in the

problem.

129
NOTE: Practice personal hygiene protocols at all times
 Unknown: Mole fractions of each substance.

Therefore, for this problem we have to treat water as

component A and ethanol as component B.

Third, write the formula and calculate the unknown.

Water as component A Ethanol as component B

XA = mol A mol B
XB =
mol A + mol B mol A + mol B

XA = 1.34 mol 0.543 mol

= 0.71 XB =
= 0.29
1.34 mol+ 0.543mol 1.34 mol + 0.543mol

Molarity

Otherwise known as “molar concentration”. It is defined as the number of moles of

solute per liter of solution. The SI unit for molarity is mol/m3; however, you will almost
always encounter molarity with the units of mol/L. A solution of concentration 1 mol/L
is also denoted as “1 molar” (1 M). Mol/L can also be written in the following ways
(however, mol/L, or simply M, is most common)

It is important to keep in mind that molarity refers only to the amount of solute
originally dissolved in water and does not take into account any subsequent
processes, such as the dissociation of a salt or the ionization of an acid.

In equation form it is written as;

Moles of solute
M=
Liter of Solution

and can be expressed algebraically as;

n
M=
v

130
NOTE: Practice personal hygiene protocols at all times
 Where n, denotes the number of moles of solute. And v is the volume of solution
in liters. Note that the volume in the definition of Molarity refers to the volume of
solution and not the volume of the solvent. The reason for this is because one liter of
solution usually contains either slightly more or slightly less than 1 liter of solvent, due
to the presence of the solute.

Let us consider the examples below;

Example 1: How many grams of potassium dichromate (K2Cr2O7) are required to

prepare a 250-mL solution whose concentration is 2.16 M ?

Solution: First, identify the given

Given: Molarity = 2.16M

Solution = 250mL

*Note that the solution must be converted into Liters and so

250 mL is equal to 0.250L.*

Second, identify the unknown or what is being asked in the

problem.

Unknown = Potassium dichromate in grams

Third, write the formula and calculate the unknown. But in this
case we have to derive the formula.

From the mother formula; n

M= v
M=

To derived formula to get the moles of potassium dichromate. (which later on be

converted into grams since the problem asks for the quantity of potassium dichromate
in grams). N = (M) (v)

131
NOTE: Practice personal hygiene protocols at all times
Thus,
N = (2.16M) (0.250L) = 0.54 mol of potassium dichromate.

The 0.54 mol potassium dichromate is not yet the final answer because we still must
convert it into grams. Using the molar mass of K2Cr2O7 which is 294.2 g.

Converting 0.540mol of K2Cr2O7 to grams we have;

294.2 g of K2Cr2O7
= 159g of K2Cr2O
(0.540mol of K2Cr2O7) X 1mol of K2Cr2O

Example 2: In a biochemical assay, a chemist needs to add 3.81 g of

glucose to a reaction mixture. Calculate the volume in milliliters
of a 2.53 M glucose solution she should use for the
addition.

Solution: First, identify the given

Given: 3.81 grams of glucose

2.53 M of glucose

*Glucose is given in grams and we must first convert it into moles using its molar mass
which is equal to 180.2 grams. Thus, 3.81 grams of glucose is equal to 2.114x10-2 mol
of glucose.*

Second, identify the unknown or what is being asked in the

problem.

Unknown: Volume in mL of a 2.53 M glucose solution

132
NOTE: Practice personal hygiene protocols at all times
 Third, write the formula and calculate the unknown. But in this
case we have to derive the formula.

From the mother formula;

n
M= v

To derived formula;
n
V= M

Thus,
2.114x10-2mol of glucose
= 8.36x10-3 L
V= 2.53M

*Notice that our units is in Liter and the problem is asking for the uni to be in mL, that
is why we must convert 8.36x10-3 L into mL which is equivalent to 8.36 mL solution.
And 8.36 mL is the final answer for this problem.*

Molality

It is an intensive property of solutions, and it is calculated as the moles of a solute

divided by the kilograms of the solvent. Unlike molarity, which depends on the volume
of the solution, molality depends only on the mass of the solvent. Molality is the
number of moles of solute dissolved in 1 kg (1000 g) of solvent—that is,

Moles of solute
m=
Mass of solvent

The SI unit for molality is mol/kg. A solution with a molality of 3 mol/kg is often
described as “3 molal” or “3 m.” However, following the SI system of units, mol/kg or
a related SI unit is now preferred.

133
NOTE: Practice personal hygiene protocols at all times
Let us consider the examples below;

Example 1: Calculate the molality of a sulfuric acid solution containing

24.4 g of sulfuric acid in 198 g of water. The molar mass of
sulfuric acid is 98.09 g.

Solution: First,identify the given

Given: Solute = 24.4 grams of sulfuric acid

Solvent = 198 grams of water

*Always be mindful with the units, the solute given is in grams and it should be first
converted into moles (that is 0.249 molH2SO4) and also the solvent is expressed in
grams that should be in kilograms so, solvent must be 0.198 kg).*

Second, identify the unknown or what is being asked in the problem.

Unknown: Molality of sulfuric acid

Third, write the formula and calculate the unknown

Moles of solute
mm==
m = Mass of solvent

Thus,
0.249 molH2SO4
m= = 1.26m
0.198 kg

Example 2: 80.0 grams of glucose (C6H12O6 ) is dissolved in 1.00 kg of

solvent. What is its molality? Molar mass of (C6H12O6 ) is
equal to 180g/mol.

Solution: First, identify the given;

Given: Solute = 80.0 grams of glucose

Solvent = 1.00kg

134
NOTE: Practice personal hygiene protocols at all times
*Remember that, molality should be in the units of moles and kilogram. So, 80.0 grams
of glucose should be converted first into moles. Thus, glucose is equal to 0.444 mol.*

Second, identify the unknown or what is being asked in the

problem.

Unknown: Molality of Glucose solution

Third, write the formula and calculate the unknown

Moles of solute
m=
Mass of solvent

Thus,
0.444 mol glucose = 0.444m
m=
1.00kg

Learning Competency:
Use different ways of expressing concentration of solutions: Molarity, Molality, Percent
by mass, Percent by volume, mole fraction and ppm. (STEM_GC11PP-IIId-f-111)

Activity 1: Choose The “RIGHT” One

Directions: Read and analyze the following questions and choose from the given
options the best correct answer.

1. Which of the following is not the unit of concentration?

a. Mole/m3
b. Molar
c. N/m3
d. ppm

135
NOTE: Practice personal hygiene protocols at all times
2. Which of the following material present in a solution is largest in amount?
a. Salt
b. Solute
c. Solvent
d. Molecules
3. Which of the following is defined as the relative amount of solute and solvent in a
solution?
a. Polarity
b. Solubility
c. Miscibility
d. Concentration
4. Which of the following describes a solvent in a solution?
a. Always a water
b. Always a liquid
c. The substance being dissolved
d. The substance present in the greatest amount

5. Which of the following is defined as the quantity of solute per unit volume?
a. Density
b. Concentration
c. Mole
d. None of the above mentioned

136
NOTE: Practice personal hygiene protocols at all times
Activity 2: CONCEPTUAL ANALYSIS

Directions: Base on what you have learned from this lesson and from other previous
lessons. Analyze the given statement and scientifically discuss your claim.

A solution is prepared at 20oC and its concentration is expressed in two different

units; Molarity and Molality. The solution is then heated to 88oC. Which of the
concentration units will change?

Activity 3: MATCH ME!

Directions: Read and analyze the following questions and compute for what is
unknown in the given problem. Choose the correct numerical value from the response
list on the right. Responses on the right may be used more than once or need not be
used at all.

B. 58.44g
1. What is the percent by volume concentration of a
A. 1.43mL
solution in which 75.0mL of ethanol is diluted to a volume
of 250mL? D. 12.39%
2. What volume of acetic acid is present in a bottle
C. 1gram
containing 350.0mL of a solution which measures 5.00%
concentration. E.17.5mL
3. Find the percent by mass in which 41.0g of NaCl is
dissolved in 331g of water. F.2.0x1010ppm

4. How many grams of NaCl would you need to prepare G. 30%

200.0mL of a 5M solution.
J. 60ppm
5. What is the ppm concentration of 6.00 mL sample of
solution that has 3.6 x 10-4 g of sodium ions? I. 8.07%

H. 33.3%

137
NOTE: Practice personal hygiene protocols at all times
Activity 4: Calculate The Unknown

Directions: Read and analyze the following questions and compute for what is
unknown in the given problem. Show complete solution by stating the given and
unknown, and show the process from writing the formula to unit conversion (if
applicable).

1. Suppose you added 4.0 moles of sugar to 10.0 L of solution. Calculate the molar
concentration of the solution.
2. A sample of water taken from a nearby lake is found to have 0.0035 mol of salt in a
100mL solution. Determine the molar concentration of the solution in the lake.
3. You dissolve 30.0g of sodium sulfate (Na2SO4(s)) into 300mL of water. Calculate the
molar concentration of the solution.
4. What is the Molality of a solution containing 7.78g of Urea [(NH 2)2CO2] in 203g of
water?
5. Lead is a poisonous metal that especially affects children because they retain a
larger fraction of lead than adults do. Lead levels of 0.250ppm in a child cause delayed
cognitive development. How many moles of lead present in 1.00g of child’s blood
would 0.250ppm represent.
6. Acetone, C3H6, is the main ingredient of nail polish remover. A solution is made up
by adding 35.0mL of acetone (d=0.790g/mL) to 50.0mL of ethyl alcohol, C 2H6O
(d=0.789g/mL). Assuming volumes are additive, calculate (a) the mass percent of
acetone in the solution. (b) the volume percent of ethyl alcohol in the solution. (c) the
mole fraction of acetone in the solution.

Activity 5: Expressing Concentration in Different Units

Directions: Read and internalize the short story below and answer the questions that
follow. Complete solution is required.

“The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a new strain

of coronavirus. This new virus and disease were unknown before the outbreak began
in Wuhan, China, in December 2019.

138
NOTE: Practice personal hygiene protocols at all times
On 30 January 2020, the Philippine Department of Health reported the first case of
COVID-19 in the country with a 38-year-old female Chinese national. On 7 March, the
first local transmission of COVID-19 was confirmed. WHO is working closely with the
Department of Health in responding to the COVID-19 outbreak.” Aki and her family
were alarmed with the news they watched and so first thing in the morning they rush
to the nearest convenient store to secure disinfectant and sanitizers but unfortunately
the store already had empty shelves of the essentials they needed. They went to other
stores searching and to their dismay they acquired nothing. They were on their way
home when she suddenly remembered her past lesson on “solutions”, and so she
immediately ran back to the store and purchase the things she needed for her simple
experiment. She bought a bleach (Zonrox), gloves and measuring spoon and cups.
Arriving at home she then put her gloves on and prepared the things she needed such
as; 5tbsp bleach (0.0739L), 1 gallon of water (3.8L), pail and stirring rods. Using the
pail with 3.8L of water, she carefully poured the 5tbsp bleach solution and then mixed
it with the stirring rod. And they now have a disinfectant.

In connection to her home made disinfectant and with our lesson, we will express her
solutions’ concentration into different units; Molarity, Molality, Percent by mass,
Percent by volume, mole fraction and ppm.

Questions:

1. What is the molar concentration of Aki’s disinfectant if she dissolved 5Tbsp. of

NaClO (sodium hypochlorite) in 3.8 liters of H2O (water)?
2. Compute for the molality of her disinfectant if she dissolved 5Tbsp. of NaClO
(sodium hypochlorite) in 3.8 liters of H2O (water).
3. Calculate the percent by mass of sodium hypochorite in her disinfectant solution. (
5Tbsp. of NaClO (sodium hypochlorite) and 3.8 liters of H2O (water). In units of grams
for both of the solute and solvent.
4. Calculate the mole fraction of sodium hypochorite and water in Aki’s solution. (
5Tbsp. of NaClO (sodium hypochlorite) and 3.8 liters of H2O (water).
5. Calculate the percent by volume of the disinfectant Aki made. Units in mL.
6. What is the concentration of her solution in parts per million? ( 5Tbsp. of NaClO
(sodium hypochlorite) and 3.8 liters of H2O (water).

139
NOTE: Practice personal hygiene protocols at all times