Other than water, what would you expect to find in the highest concentration in an aqueous solution of KOH? Explain.

Short Answer

Expert verified
In an aqueous solution of KOH, other than water, the substances found in the highest concentration would be potassium ions (K+) and hydroxide ions (OH-). This is because KOH dissociates completely in water, resulting in an equal number of K+ ions and OH- ions.

Step by step solution

01

Determining the Solute

First, identify the solute in the solution. From the exercise, an aqueous solution of KOH is provided, where water (H2O) is the solvent and KOH is the solute. Thus, other than water, it becomes apparent that KOH could be the substance found in the highest concentration.
02

Understanding Dissociation in Solution

When solutes dissolve in water, they undergo a process known as dissociation - where a compound breaks apart into its component ions. Potassium hydroxide (KOH), being a strong base, completely dissociates in water to form potassium ions (K+) and hydroxide ions (OH-).
03

Writing the Dissociation Equation

Demonstrating this process through a chemical equation would look like this: \[ \text{KOH} \rightarrow \text{K}^+ + \text{OH}^- \] The arrow suggests that KOH dissociates into K+ and OH- ions.
04

Observing the Ion Concentrations

After dissociation, every molecule of KOH has produced one potassium ion (K+) and one hydroxide ion (OH-). So, after water molecules, the substances present in highest concentration in a solution of KOH would be equal amounts of K+ ions and OH- ions.
05

Identifying the Final Answer

So, other than water, the substances that would be found in the highest concentration in an aqueous solution of KOH are the potassium ions (K+) and the hydroxide ions (OH-). In conclusion, the substance with the highest concentration in an aqueous solution of KOH, besides water, would be potassium ions (K+) and hydroxide ions (OH-).

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