Skip to main content
Chemistry LibreTexts

1.7.20: Compressions- Isothermal- Salt Solutions

  • Page ID
    374452
  • \( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \) \( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} \)\(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)\(\newcommand{\AA}{\unicode[.8,0]{x212B}}\)

    In 1933 Gucker [1-3] reviewed attempts to measure the apparent isothermal molar compressions of salts in aqueous solution, these attempts dating back to the earliest reliable measurements by Rontgen and Schneider [4] in 1886 and 1887. Gucker showed [2] that for several aqueous salt solutions the apparent isothermal molar compression, \(\phi\left(\mathrm{K}_{\mathrm{T}_{\mathrm{j}}}\right)\) is a linear function of the square root of the salt concentration.

    \[\phi\left(\mathrm{K}_{\mathrm{T}_{\mathrm{j}}}\right)=\phi\left(\mathrm{K}_{\mathrm{T}_{\mathrm{j}}}\right)^{\infty}+\mathrm{a} \, \mathrm{c}_{\mathrm{j}}^{1 / 2}\]

    This general equation holds for \(\mathrm{CaCl}_{2}(\mathrm{aq})\) at 60 Celsius. In general terms, \(\phi\left(\mathrm{K}_{\mathrm{T}_{\mathrm{j}}}\right)\) for salts is negative becoming less negative as the salt concentration increases. Gibson described an interesting approach which characterises salt solutions in terms of effective pressures, \(\mathrm{p}_{\mathrm{c}}\) exerted by the salt on the solvent [5]. This effective pressure is expressed as a linear function of the product of salt and solvent concentrations. The constant of proportionality is characteristic of the salt. Leyendekkers based an analysis using the Tammann-Tait-Gibson (TTG) model, on the assertion that solutes, salts and organic solutes, exert an excess pressure on water in aqueous solution [6,7]. The TTG approach described by Leyendekkers is intuitively attractive but the analysis is based on an extra - thermodynamic assumption [8]. Calculation of an excess pressure requires an estimate of the volume of solute molecules, \(\phi_{j}\) in solution. If this property is independent of solute molality \(\mathrm{m}_{j}\), the dependence of the volume of a solution (in \(1 \mathrm{~kg}\) of water) on solute molality is described by the dependence of the ‘partial molar volume' of water. The difference between \(\left[\mathrm{V}\left(\mathrm{aq} ; \mathrm{w}_{1}=1 \mathrm{~kg}\right)-\mathrm{m}_{\mathrm{j}} \, \phi(\mathrm{Vj})\right]\) and \(\mathrm{M}_{1}^{-1} \, \mathrm{V}_{1}^{*}(\ell)\) is understood in terms of an effective pressure on the solvent. The assumptions underlying this calculation are not trivial. Furthermore from a thermodynamic viewpoint, the pressure is the same in every volume element of a solution [8].

    Footnotes

    [1] F. T. Gucker, J. Am. Chem.Soc.,1933,55,2709.

    [2] F. T. Gucker, Chem.Rev.,1933,13,111.

    [3] F. T. Gucker, F. W. Lamb, G. A. Marsh and R. M. Haag, J.Am. Chem. Soc.,1950,72,310.

    [4] W. C. Rontgen and J. Schneider, Wied. Ann., 1886,29,165;1887,31,36.

    [5] R. E. Gibson, J.Am.Chem.Soc.,1934,56,4.;1935,57,284.

    [6] J. V. Leyendekkers, J. Chem. Soc. Faraday Trans.1,1981,77,1529; 1982,78,357; 1988,84, 397,1653.

    [7] J. V. Leyendekkers, Aust. J. Chem.,1981,34,1785.

    [8] M. J. Blandamer, J. Burgess and A. Hakin, J. Chem. Soc. Faraday Trans.1,1986, 82,3681.


    This page titled 1.7.20: Compressions- Isothermal- Salt Solutions is shared under a Public Domain license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Michael J Blandamer & Joao Carlos R Reis.