# Given percent composition, find mass per litre of solution

1. May 15, 2016

### brbrett

1. The problem statement, all variables and given/known data
A 15% by mass solution has a density of 1.2 g/mL. What is the mass per liter concentration of this solution?
→ (a) 180 g/L (this is the answer, pretend you don't know)
(b) 150 g/L
(c) 125 g/L
(d) cannot be determined from this information
2. Relevant equations
Density
Possibly percent composition
3. The attempt at a solution
I don't know g/L.
D=m/v
I assume 15% of the solution is 15g (This is clearly not the case, or I wouldn't be here)
1.2=15/v
v=12.5mL
Convert mL to L
15g/0.0125mL
1200g/L <---Not even on the answer list, and sounds unreasonable anyway

Without straight telling me the answer, how does one approach a question such as this?

2. May 15, 2016

It's not the best problem in my opinion because the solution has a mass of 1200 g per liter, and if you subtract out the material that was dissolved, you have presumably what is water (when you are given a solution and the material is unspecified, water is usually implied), that must have a density that is at least 1020 grams per liter, and the volume might even be slightly less than a liter. (Sometimes the dissolved material will add volume. When it is removed, the volume could decrease.) 15% by mass of 1200 grams is 180 grams. I guess it is also fair to assume that the solution is not a water solution. Anyway, to help you with your calculations, there are 1000 ml (milliliters) in a liter. To do a percentage, you divide by 100. e.g. for 15%, its fractional value is 15/100=0.15.

Last edited: May 15, 2016
3. May 15, 2016

### SteamKing

Staff Emeritus
The problem statement clearly says the density of the solution is 1.2 g/mL. Don't you know that 1000 mL = 1 L?
This is the mass per liter of solution. It is not the mass concentration, however.
X% mass concentration of a solution means that:

the mass concentration per liter = the mass of 1 liter of solution * X / 100

4. May 15, 2016

### brbrett

Now that I think about it, my work above was kinda silly :p
Plugging into the equation, I get 180g/L from 1200x(15/100), which is the correct answer (which is just 15% of that number).
What is mass concentration exactly? Is it simply the the part of the solution we are looking at, which implies the rest of the solution is water/other substances?

5. May 15, 2016

### SteamKing

Staff Emeritus
Mass concentration is the amount of a substance dissolved in some sort of solute to make a solution. The solute can be water or any other liquid.

Concentration can be defined in several different ways:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concentration

6. May 15, 2016

### Staff: Mentor

The mass concentration they are looking for is the mass of solute per liter of solution.

7. May 15, 2016

### brbrett

Got it. Unfortunately I only get to use Molarity in my current year of chemistry, so it's good that I now know what mass concentration is. Thanks for the help!
The text passage contains a chemistry problem that involves calculating the mass per liter concentration of a solution given its percent composition and density. The problem is presented as a question, and the solution is discussed in the subsequent posts.
single_question_with_answer
Given a text passage, determine:
    1. If it contains a mathematical question (including word problems or calculations)
    2. If an answer to that mathematical question is provided in the text

First, describe the content structure you found in 1-2 sentences.

Then provide your analysis in the following format:
TYPE: <one of the following values>
- NO_QUESTION
- SINGLE_QUESTION
- SINGLE_QUESTION_WITH_ANSWER
- MULTIPLE_QUESTIONS
- MULTIPLE_QUESTIONS_WITH_ANSWERS
system
# Given percent composition, find mass per litre of solution

1. May 15, 2016

### brbrett

1. The problem statement, all variables and given/known data
A 15% by mass solution has a density of 1.2 g/mL. What is the mass per liter concentration of this solution?
→ (a) 180 g/L (this is the answer, pretend you don't know)
(b) 150 g/L
(c) 125 g/L
(d) cannot be determined from this information
2. Relevant equations
Density
Possibly percent composition
3. The attempt at a solution
I don't know g/L.
D=m/v
I assume 15% of the solution is 15g (This is clearly not the case, or I wouldn't be here)
1.2=15/v
v=12.5mL
Convert mL to L
15g/0.0125mL
1200g/L <---Not even on the answer list, and sounds unreasonable anyway

Without straight telling me the answer, how does one approach a question such as this?

2. May 15, 2016

It's not the best problem in my opinion because the solution has a mass of 1200 g per liter, and if you subtract out the material that was dissolved, you have presumably what is water (when you are given a solution and the material is unspecified, water is usually implied), that must have a density that is at least 1020 grams per liter, and the volume might even be slightly less than a liter. (Sometimes the dissolved material will add volume. When it is removed, the volume could decrease.) 15% by mass of 1200 grams is 180 grams. I guess it is also fair to assume that the solution is not a water solution. Anyway, to help you with your calculations, there are 1000 ml (milliliters) in a liter. To do a percentage, you divide by 100. e.g. for 15%, its fractional value is 15/100=0.15.

Last edited: May 15, 2016
3. May 15, 2016

### SteamKing

Staff Emeritus
The problem statement clearly says the density of the solution is 1.2 g/mL. Don't you know that 1000 mL = 1 L?
This is the mass per liter of solution. It is not the mass concentration, however.
X% mass concentration of a solution means that:

the mass concentration per liter = the mass of 1 liter of solution * X / 100

4. May 15, 2016

### brbrett

Now that I think about it, my work above was kinda silly :p
Plugging into the equation, I get 180g/L from 1200x(15/100), which is the correct answer (which is just 15% of that number).
What is mass concentration exactly? Is it simply the the part of the solution we are looking at, which implies the rest of the solution is water/other substances?

5. May 15, 2016

### SteamKing

Staff Emeritus
Mass concentration is the amount of a substance dissolved in some sort of solute to make a solution. The solute can be water or any other liquid.

Concentration can be defined in several different ways:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concentration

6. May 15, 2016

### Staff: Mentor

The mass concentration they are looking for is the mass of solute per liter of solution.

7. May 15, 2016

### brbrett

Got it. Unfortunately I only get to use Molarity in my current year of chemistry, so it's good that I now know what mass concentration is. Thanks for the help!
user
The text passage contains a chemistry problem that involves calculating the mass per liter concentration of a solution given its percent composition and density. The problem is presented as a question, and the solution is discussed in the subsequent posts.

TYPE: SINGLE_QUESTION_WITH_ANSWER