A mining operation needs to separate silver and copper. You are hired as a summe

Question

A mining operation needs to separate silver and copper. You are hired as a summer beautiful Colorado mining town, and one of your tasks is to determine whether this separation can be accomplished by oxidizing the metals to Ag^+ and Cu^+, each one at a concentration of 0.15 M, and then precipitate one as the chloride salt without precipitate other. AgCl precipitates first. What is the concentration of the Ag^+ remaining in solution when CuCl begins to precipitate? For AgCl, pK_sp = 9.74. and for CuCl, pK_sp = 6.76. a. 1.57 times 10^-2 M d. 2.23 times 10^-4 M b. 1.57 times 10^-4 M e. 3.72 times 10^-3 M c. 2.23 times 10^-2 M

Explanation / Answer

Given pKsp of AgCl = 9.74 thus Ksp of AgCl = 1.82 x10-10

pKsp of CuCl = 6.76 thus Ksp of CuCL = 1.73 x10-7

[Ag+] =[Cu+] in solution = 0.15M

As the ksp of AgCl is lower than CuCL, AgCl precipitates first .

The ratio of [Ag+] to [Cu+] when CuCl starts precipitation is

[Ag+] /[Cu+] = Ksp of AgCl /Ksp of Cucl

= 1.82x10-10 /1.73 x10-7

= 1.05x10-3

Thus the actual concentration of [Ag+] in solution remaining when Cu+ statrts precipitation

= ratio x [Ag+] in solution

= 1.05x10-3 0.15

= 1.57x10-4 M

the option B

Related Questions

Navigate

• Browse (All)
• Browse A
• Subjects

---

---

Integrity-first tutoring: explanations and feedback only — we do not complete graded work. Learn more.