Amixture contains only nacl and al2(so4)3. a 1.45 g sample of the mixture is dissolved in water, and an excess of naoh is added, producing a precipitate of al(oh)3. the precipitate is filtered, dried, and weighed. the mass of the precipitate is 0.495 g. what is the mass percent of al2(so4)3 in the sample?

When mixture of NaCl and Al₂(SO₄)₃ is allowed to react with excess NaOH, only Al₂(SO₄)₃ reacts with it and NaCl does not react with NaOH due to presence of common ion (Na⁺). On reaction gelatinous precipitate of aluminium hydroxide [Al(OH)₃] is produced.  The balanced chemical reaction is represented as-

Al₂(SO₄)₃ + 6NaOH → 2Al(OH)₃ + 3Na₂SO₄

On this reaction, 0.495 g = 0.495/78 moles =6.346 X 10⁻³ moles of Al(OH)₃.

As per balanced reaction, two moles of Al(OH)₃ is produced from one mole Al₂(SO₄)₃. So, 6.346 X 10⁻³ moles of Al(OH)₃ is produced from (6.346 X 10⁻³)/2 moles=3.173 X 10⁻³ moles of Al₂(SO₄)₃= 3.173 X 10⁻³ X 342 g of Al₂(SO₄)₃=1.085 g of Al₂(SO₄)₃.

So, mass percentage of Al₂(SO₄)₃ is= (amount of Al₂(SO₄)₃/total amount of mixture)X100 = =74.8 %.

answersilicon (si); oxygen (o);