Amount of substance

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Question 51
Medium

A sample of cosmetic jojoba-like wax is composed mainly of an unsaturated ester Y\text{Y}Y mixed with a small amount of an inert organic impurity. The unsaturated ester Y\text{Y}Y has the molecular formula C39H68O5\text{C}_{39}\text{H}_{68}\text{O}_5C39​H68​O5​ (Mr=616M_r = 616Mr​=616) and contains 3 carbon-carbon double bonds per molecule.

The amount of Y\text{Y}Y is determined using the following procedure:

  • Transfer a weighed sample of the wax to a 100 cm3 volumetric flask and make up to the mark with cyclohexane.
  • Titrate 20.0 cm3 samples of the wax solution with 0.015 mol dm-3 Br2\text{Br}_2Br2​ dissolved in cyclohexane.
1a.

A suitable target titre for the titration is 24.0 cm3 of 0.015 mol dm-3 Br2\text{Br}_2Br2​.

Justify why a much smaller target titre would not be appropriate.

[1]
1b.

Calculate the amount, in moles, of bromine in this target titre.

[1]
2.

Calculate a suitable mass of the cosmetic wax to transfer to the volumetric flask using your answer to Part 1 and the chemical structure of Y\text{Y}Y. Assume that the wax contains 75.0% of Y\text{Y}Y by mass. (If you were unable to calculate the amount of bromine in the target titre, you should assume it is 3.0 × 10-4 mol. This is not the correct amount.)

[4]
3a.

The wax solution is prepared using this method:

  • Place a weighing boat on a balance and record the mass, in g, to 2 decimal places.
  • Add wax to the weighing boat until a suitable mass is obtained, and record the mass.
  • Transfer the wax into a 100 cm3 volumetric flask.
  • Add cyclohexane to the volumetric flask until it is made up to the mark.
  • Place a stopper in the flask and invert the flask several times.

Suggest an extra step to ensure that the mass of wax in the solution is recorded accurately. Justify your suggestion.

[2]
3b.

State the reason for inverting the flask several times.

[1]
4.

A sample of the cosmetic wax was dissolved in methanol and analysed using electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry. Each molecule gained a hydrogen ion (H+\text{H}^+H+) during ionisation. The spectrum showed a peak for an ion with m/z=281m/z = 281m/z=281 formed from an impurity in the wax. This ion was formed from a compound with the empirical formula C4H6O\text{C}_4\text{H}_6\text{O}C4​H6​O. Deduce the molecular formula of this compound, showing your working.

[2]

Amount of substance Questions

  1. A Level
  2. /Chemistry
  3. /Amount of substance