To calculate the molality (m) of a 3M (molar) aqueous solution of NaCl, we need to follow certain steps, using the given data and understanding the definitions properly.
Molarity (M) is defined as the number of moles of solute per liter of solution.
Molality (m), on the other hand, is defined as the number of moles of solute per kilogram of solvent.
The given density of the solution is 1.25 g mL−1 which allows us to calculate the mass of the solvent in a given volume of solution.
We know: Molarity (M) of NaCl = 3 M Density of NaCl solution = 1.25 g mL−1 Molar mass of NaCl=Na+Cl=23+35.5=58.5 g mol−1 First, to find the molality, we need to find the moles of NaCl in a given mass of the solvent.
Keeping in mind that 3 M means there are 3 moles of NaCl per liter of solution, we consider 1 liter (or 1000 mL) of solution to simplify our calculation, knowing that density can convert volume to mass directly.
The mass of 1 liter of NaCl solution is 1.25 g mL−1×1000 mL=1250 g.
Since we have a 3 M solution of NaCl, 3 moles=molar mass of NaClmass of the solution−mass of solvent With 3 moles of NaCl, the mass of NaCl present in 1 L solution =3 moles×58.5 g/mol=175.5 g The mass of the solvent (water) can be found by subtracting the mass of NaCl from the total mass of the solution.
Mass of solvent=1250 g−175.5 g=1074.5 g To convert this mass into kilograms (since molality is expressed per kilogram of solvent), 1074.5 g=1.0745 kg Finally, the molality (m), m=kilograms of solventmoles of solute=1.0745 kg3 moles m≈2.79 So, the correct answer is Option D: 2.79 m