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Chapter 13: Problem 93

Hydrogen chloride is a colorless gas, yet when a bottle of concentrated hydrochloric acid \([\mathrm{HCl}(\mathrm{conc} \text { aq) }]\) is opened, mist-like fumes are often seen to escape from the bottle. How do you account for this?

Short Answer

Expert verified
Mist-like fumes are visible when a bottle of concentrated hydrochloric acid is opened because the hydrochloric acid vaporizing from the liquid comes into contact with the moisture in the air. This causes a reaction, forming hydronium and chloride ions. The mist is the resulting tiny droplets of this solution, formed by the condensation of the solution in the air.

Step by step solution

01

Identify the state of Hydrochloric Acid

Hydrochloric acid in a concentrated aqueous solution \([\mathrm{HCl(conc\:aq)}]\) is a liquid. When a bottle of it is opened, it comes into contact with the surrounding air. Because hydrochloric acid is a strong acid, it is also volatile in nature, which means it tends to vaporize.
02

Understand the interaction with air

Air contains moisture, or water vapor, in it. When the hydrochloric acid gas comes into contact with the moisture in the air, an acid-base reaction takes place.
03

Discuss the reaction with moisture

In a specific reaction, hydrochloric acid \([\mathrm{HCl}]\) gas reacts with water \([H_2O]\) present in the atmosphere and produces hydronium ions \([H_3O^{+}]\) and chloride ions \([Cl^{-}]\). This reaction can be represented as: \(\mathrm{HCl(g)} + \mathrm{H_2O(g)} \rightarrow \mathrm{H_3O^{+}(aq)} + \mathrm{Cl^{-}(aq)}\). Consequently, a visible mist forms due to the condensation of tiny droplets of the solution formed by this reaction.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

6.00 M sulfuric acid, \(\mathrm{H}_{2} \mathrm{SO}_{4}(\mathrm{aq}),\) has a density of \(1.338 \mathrm{g} / \mathrm{mL} .\) What is the percent by mass of sulfuric acid in this solution?

Nitrobenzene, \(\mathrm{C}_{6} \mathrm{H}_{5} \mathrm{NO}_{2},\) and benzene, \(\mathrm{C}_{6} \mathrm{H}_{6},\) are completely miscible in each other. Other properties of the two liquids are nitrobenzene: \(\mathrm{fp}=5.7^{\circ} \mathrm{C}, K_{\mathrm{f}}=\) \(8.1^{\circ} \mathrm{C} m^{-1} ;\) benzene: \(\mathrm{fp}=5.5^{\circ} \mathrm{C}, K_{\mathrm{f}}=5.12^{\circ} \mathrm{C} m^{-1} . \mathrm{It}\) is possible to prepare two different solutions with these two liquids having a freezing point of \(0.0^{\circ} \mathrm{C}\) What are the compositions of these two solutions, expressed as mass percent nitrobenzene?

Thiophene \(\left(\mathrm{fp}=-38.3 ; \mathrm{bp}=84.4^{\circ} \mathrm{C}\right)\) is a sulfur containing hydrocarbon sometimes used as a solvent in place of benzene. Combustion of a \(2.348 \mathrm{g}\) sample of thiophene produces \(4.913 \mathrm{g} \mathrm{CO}_{2}, 1.005 \mathrm{g} \mathrm{H}_{2} \mathrm{O},\) and \(1.788 \mathrm{g} \mathrm{SO}_{2} .\) When a \(0.867 \mathrm{g}\) sample of thiophene is dissolved in \(44.56 \mathrm{g}\) of benzene \(\left(\mathrm{C}_{6} \mathrm{H}_{6}\right),\) the freezing point is lowered by \(1.183^{\circ} \mathrm{C} .\) What is the molecular formula of thiophene?

Calculate the mole fraction of solute in the following aqueous solutions: (a) \(21.7 \% \mathrm{CH}_{3} \mathrm{CH}_{2} \mathrm{OH},\) by mass; (b) \(0.684 m \mathrm{CO}\left(\mathrm{NH}_{2}\right)_{2}\) (urea).

Calculate the mole fraction of the solute in the following aqueous solutions:(a) \(0.112 \mathrm{M} \mathrm{C}_{6} \mathrm{H}_{12} \mathrm{O}_{6}\) \((d=1.006 \mathrm{g} / \mathrm{mL})\) (b) \(3.20 \%\) ethanol,by volume \((d=0.993 \mathrm{g} / \mathrm{mL}\) pure \(\left.\mathrm{CH}_{3} \mathrm{CH}_{2} \mathrm{OH}, d=0.789 \mathrm{g} / \mathrm{mL}\right)\).
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