NOTES

01

C H E M I S T R Y

MOLE CONCEPT
DEFINING CONCENTRATION

What
What you
you already
already know
know What you will learn

• Limiting reagent • Solution

• Percentage purity • Molarity
• Percentage excess • Molality
• Percentage yield • Mole fraction
• Parts per million
• Parts per billion
• Strength of a solution
• Percentage concentration

BOARDS NEET
Introduction to Solutions

A solution is a homogeneous mixture of two or more substances. It consists of two components,

namely solute and solvent.
Homogeneous solutions are solutions with uniform composition and properties throughout the
solution.

Solution = Solute + Solvent

Solute: The component of a solution which gets dissolved is the solute. It is generally present in
less quantity in the solution.
For example, in a salt solution, salt gets dissolved in water. Hence, salt is the solute in the
salt solution.
Solvent: The component of a solution in which the solute is dissolved. It is generally present in
greater quantity in the solution. Solvent decides the phase of a solution.
For example, in a salt solution, salt gets dissolved in water and hence, water is the solvent
in the salt solution.

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 02

Identifying Solute and Solvent in a Solution

Case 1: Components of a solution having Case 2: Components of a solution having

different phases the same phase
The component deciding the phase of a The component present in the higher
solution is termed as the solvent and the quantity is termed as the solvent and the
other component is the solute. other component is the solute. For example,
For example, in sugar-water solution, in air, both nitrogen and oxygen have the
water has the same phase (liquid) as that same phase (gaseous). Since nitrogen is
of the final solution. Hence, water is the present in a higher quantity, it is the solvent,
solvent and sugar is the solute. and oxygen and other gases are solutes.

Phases of solution

Solid solution: A solution in which phase of solution is solid, i.e., the solvent of the
solution is solid.
Example: Copper-zinc alloy (brass)

Liquid solution: A solution in which phase of solution is liquid, i.e., the solvent of
the solution is liquid.
Example: Salt-water

Gaseous solution: A solution in which phase of solution is gaseous, i.e., the solvent
of the solution is gas.
Example: Nitrogen-oxygen (air)

• Water is always considered as a solvent irrespective of its amount or phase.

• A solution can have one or more than one solute but it can only have one solvent.
• The thing which is more in quantity is known as the solvent and the thing which is
less in quantity is known as the solute.
• The components of a solution cannot be separated by filtration.

BOARDS NEET

Concentration terms are divided into two categories:

(i) Volume-dependent concentration terms
(ii) Volume-independent concentration terms

(i) Volume-Dependent Concentration Terms

The concentration terms in which volume is involved. For example, molarity.

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 03

Molarity
Molarity is defined as the number of moles of the solute dissolved in one litre of solution. It is
denoted by M or molar.
Number of moles of solute
Molarity =
Volume of solution in L
Units of Molarity = M, molar, mol L-1, mol dm-3

• Always consider the volume of the solution and not the volume of the beaker.
• When the solution is divided into two parts, its molarity remains the same as the number
of moles of the solute and the volume of the solution halves.
• The unit of molarity for a solution is mol/L, mol/dm3, or molar (M).
• Molarity involves the volume of the solution in litre (L).
• The molarity of a solution is temperature dependent.

Percentage Concentration
It refers to the amount of the solute per 100 parts of the solution. It can also be known as
parts per hundred (pph).
Weight-by-volume percentage (% w/V)
Mass of the solute in grams present in 100 mL of solution
Mass of solute in g
(% w/V) = × 100
Volume of solution in mL
Example: 10% w/V of Na2CO3 consists of 10 g of Na2CO3 per 100 mL of solution.
Volume-by-volume percentage (% V/V)
Volume of the solute in mL present in 100 mL of solution
Volume of solute in mL
(% V/V) = × 100
Volume of solution in mL
Example: 20% V/V or by volume means 20 mL of solute present in 100 mL of solution.
Strength of a Solution
Mass of the solute in grams present in 1 L of solution
Strength of a solution is expressed in gram/litre.
Unit = g/L
Mass of solute in g
Strength of solution =
Volume of solution in L
Strength of solution
Molarity =
Molar mass of solute
Strength of solution = 10 × (% w/V)

(ii) Volume-Independent Concentration Terms

The concentration terms in which volume is not involved. For example, molality.
Molality
Molality is defined as the number of moles of the solute present in 1 kg of solvent.

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 04

Number of moles of solute

Molality (m) =
Mass of solvent in kg
-1
SI Unit = mol kg or molal (m)

• The unit of molality for a solution is mol/kg or molal (m).

• Molality involves the mass of the solvent in kg.
• Molality of a solution is temperature independent.

Mole Fraction
Mole fraction is the ratio of the number of moles of a particular component to the total number of
moles of the solution. If substance A is dissolved in substance B, and nA and nB are their respective
moles, then
Number of moles of A
Mole fraction of A =
Number of moles of A + Number of moles of B
nA
xA =
nA + nB
For a solution containing i number of components, we have,
ni n
xi = = i
n1 + n2 + ...... + ni Σni
where, x1 + x2 + ....................... + xi = 1

• Mole fraction is a number and has no units.

• Sum of all the mole fractions of all the components in a solution is 1.
• The mole fraction of a substance has to lie between 0 and 1.

Mole Percentage
Mole percent is equal to the mole fraction of the component multiplied by 100.
If substance A is dissolved in substance B, and nA and nB are their respective moles, then
nA
Mole percentage of A = × 100
nA + nB

Weight-by-weight percentage (% w/w)

Mass of the solute in grams present in 100 g of solution
Mass of solute in g
(% w/w) = × 100
Mass of solution in g× 100
Example: 10% w/w of ethanol solution consists of 10 g of ethanol per 100 g of solution.

• 
Volume-independent terms do not change with temperature, while volume-dependent
terms change with temperature as the volume changes with temperature.

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 05

Parts per Million (ppm), Billion (ppb), Trillion (ppt), and Quadrillion (ppq)

This method of measuring concentration is particularly important when the solute is present in
trace quantities.
Parts per million (ppm)
Number of parts of the solute present in every one million parts of the solution.
Mass of solute (g)
ppm (w/w) = × 106
Mass of solution (g)
Parts per billion (ppb)
Number of parts of the solute present in every one billion parts of the solution.
Mass of solute (g)
ppb (w/w) = × 109
Mass of solution (g)

Parts per trillion (ppt)

Number of parts of the solute present in every one trillion parts of the solution.
Mass of solute (g)
ppt (w/w) = × 1012
Mass of solution (g)
Parts per quadrillion (ppq)
Number of parts of the solute present in every 1 quadrillion parts of the solution.
Mass of solute (g)
ppq (w/w) = × 1015
Mass of solution (g)

• 
Measuring the concentration in ppm is particularly important when the solute is present
in trace quantities.
• Parts per million (ppm) is used in the air quality index.

Based on concentration terms

Which of the following terms are unitless?

(a) Molality (b) Molarity
(c) Mole fraction (d) Mass percent

Solution

The concentration term ‘mole fraction’ is the ratio of the number of the moles. Hence, it becomes
unitless. Similarly, ‘mass percentage’ is also the ratio of the same quantity, mass and hence, it also
becomes unitless.
Options c and d are correct.

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 06

Based on concentration terms

Which of the following is dependent upon temperature?

(a) Molality (b) Molarity
(c) Weight percentage (d) Mole fraction

Solution

Molarity is the one that includes the volume of the solution, which is dependent on temperature.
Whereas, molality, mole fraction, and weight percentage involve mass, which is independent of
temperature conditions.

Based on concentration

Which of the following has the same concentration?

(a) 20 g of NaOH in 200 mL of solution (b) 0.5 mol of KCl in 200 mL of solution
(c) 40 g of NaOH in 100 mL of solution (d) 20 g of KOH in 200 mL of solution `

Solution

To find the terms with the same concentration, we have to express them in one of the concentration
terms, like molarity, in this case.
Case a: Case b:
Molar mass of NaOH = 40 g/mol Given moles of KCl = 0.5 mol
Given mass = 20 g Volume of the solution = 200 mL
Given mass 200 mL = 0.2 L
Number of moles =
Molar mass Number of moles of solute
20 Molarity =
Moles of NaOH = = 0.5 mol Volume of solution in L
40
0.5
Number of moles of solute Molarity = = 2.5 M
Molarity = 0.2
Volume of solution in L
Given volume of the solution = 200 mL
200 mL = 0.2 L
0.5
Molarity = = 2.5 M
0.2

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 07

Case c: Case d:
Molar mass of NaOH = 40 g/mol Given mass of KOH = 20 g
Given mass = 40 g Molar mass of KOH = 56.1 g/mol
Given mass Given mass
Number of moles = Number of moles =
Molar mass Molar mass
40 20
Moles of NaOH = = 1 mol Moles of KOH = = 0.356 mol
40 56.1
Volume of the solution = 100 mL
100 mL = 0.1 L Volume of the given solution = 200 mL
200 mL = 0.2 L
Number of moles of solute Number of moles of solute
Molarity = Molarity =
Volume of solution in L Volume of solution in L
1 0.356
Molarity = = 10 M Molarity = = 1.78 M
0.1 0.2
Molarity of case a and case b is the same.
Hence, they have the same concentration.

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