Question

(a) Is the concentration of a solution an intensive or an extensive property? (b) What is the difference between \(0.50 \mathrm{~mol} \mathrm{HCl}\) and \(0.50 \mathrm{M} \mathrm{HCl} ?\)

Short answer

(a) The concentration of a solution is an intensive property, as it depends on the ratio of solute to solvent and not on the total amount of the solution. (b) The difference between \(0.50 \mathrm{~mol} \mathrm{HCl}\) and \(0.50 \mathrm{M} \mathrm{HCl}\) is that the former refers to the total amount of HCl in moles, while the latter indicates the concentration of the solution, meaning there are \(0.50 \mathrm{~moles}\) of HCl per liter of the solution. Essentially, \(0.50 \mathrm{~mol} \mathrm{HCl}\) describes the amount of the solute, while \(0.50 \mathrm{M} \mathrm{HCl}\) describes the concentration of the solution.

Step-by-step solution

1. Understanding Intensive and Extensive Properties

Intensive properties are properties that do not depend on the amount of the substance, such as boiling point, density, and concentration. Extensive properties depend on the amount of the substance, such as mass, volume, and moles of the substance.

2. Identifying the Concentration Property

The concentration of a solution is the amount of solute present in a given quantity of solvent or solution. It does not depend on the total amount of solution, but rather on the ratio of solute to solvent. Therefore, the concentration of a solution is an intensive property.

3. The Meaning of 0.50 mol HCl and 0.50 M HCl

0.50 mol HCl means there is a total of 0.50 moles of HCl present, while 0.50 M HCl (M stands for molarity) indicates that there is a concentration of 0.50 moles of HCl per liter of solution.

4. Comparison between 0.50 mol HCl and 0.50 M HCl

The quantity 0.50 mol HCl refers to the amount of HCl (in moles) without mentioning any information about the volume of the solution. Whereas 0.50 M HCl represents the concentration of the HCl solution, which is the amount of HCl (in moles) present in one liter of the solution. Essentially, 0.50 mol HCl describes the amount of the solute, while 0.50 M HCl describes the concentration of the solution.