Chemistry Challenge: Calculating Grams of Phosphoric Acid

How many grams of phosphoric acid were in the solution?

Given data: 325 ml of a 5.50 m phosphoric acid solution

Answer:

Grams of phosphoric acid in the solution = 175.18 g

To calculate the grams of phosphoric acid in the solution, we need to follow these steps:

Step 1: Convert Volume to Liters

325 ml ÷ 1000 = 0.325 L

Step 2: Calculate Moles of Phosphoric Acid

Moles of H3PO4 = 5.50 mol/L × 0.325 L = 1.7875 mol

Step 3: Convert Moles to Grams

Grams of H3PO4 = 1.7875 mol × (3 × 1.008 g/mol + 30.974 g/mol + 4 × 16.00 g/mol) = 175.18 g

Therefore, there were 175.18 grams of phosphoric acid in the solution.