Click here for AnswerPool.com Home page




Google

    AnswerPool.com  Hop To Forum Categories  Science  Hop To Forums  Chemistry    chem question ethanol

Moderators: clarebear
Go
Post
Find
Notify
Tools
Reply
  
  Login/Join 
Posted
If you fill a glass with 40% ethanol solution (mol. formula C2H5OH) and leave it overnight, the ethanol concentration in the glass will still be 40%. Why does this occur?/Why doesn't any of the alcohol get evaporated?
 
Posts: 1 | Location: albany, ny | Registered: 05-06-07Reply With QuoteEdit or Delete MessageReport This Post
Diamond Enthusiast

Picture of Peteeo
Posted Hide Post
Sorry to answer a question with a question.
You stated that the concentration stays the same overnight. But nothing was stated about the total mass that remains in the glass.
Is it then possible that the fraction evaporates at room temp is the same?
.4* evaporation rate of pure EtOH = 0.6 * evaporation rate of pure water.

I don't have my CRC handbook nor Lange's to look up their vapor pressures at 20 C
 
Posts: 210 | Location: Vadnais Heights MN. | Registered: 06-15-02Reply With QuoteEdit or Delete MessageReport This Post
Platinum
Enthusiast
Posted Hide Post
Given that ethanol has a higher vapor pressure than water, it evaporates faster. So wouldn't any ethanol-water mixture lose relatively more molecules of ethanol than water, becoming increasingly more dilute with time? Confused

Side question: Are the volumes additive?
 
Posts: 1911 | Location: U.S. | Registered: 06-03-02Reply With QuoteEdit or Delete MessageReport This Post
Diamond Enthusiast

Picture of Peteeo
Posted Hide Post
Raoult's law states that the vapor above a solution will reflect the vapor pressures of the components proportional to their concentrations.
Vapor press mm Hg
Temp C H2O EtOH
15 12.79 32.2
20 17.54 43.89
25 23.76 59.02
30 31.8 78.47

At the 60:40 mix you are correct that more EtOH than water will be evaporated At 71.5% water and 29.5% EtOH the proportional vapor pressures are nearly equal at 20-25C

The other question about volume additions.
No If you add 1 liter of water to 1 liter of EtOH you'll not likely get 2 liters of mixture.
Close but not quite Ideal. The subject of Partial Molar Volumes gets quite a few hits off the internet.
 
Posts: 210 | Location: Vadnais Heights MN. | Registered: 06-15-02Reply With QuoteEdit or Delete MessageReport This Post
 Previous Topic | Next Topic powered by eve community  
 

    AnswerPool.com  Hop To Forum Categories  Science  Hop To Forums  Chemistry    chem question ethanol

© 2002-2008 AnswerPool.com



Visit DiscussionPool.com!