Question 9.12: What is the final concentration if 75 mL of a 3.5 M glucose ...

What is the final concentration if 75 mL of a 3.5 M glucose solution is diluted to a volume of 450 mL?
ANALYSIS The number of moles of solute is constant, so

M_1V_1 = M_2V_2

Of the four variables in this equation, we know the initial concentration M_1 (3.5 M), the initial volume V_1 (75 mL), and the final volume V_2 (450 mL), and we need to find the final concentration M_2.
BALLPARK ESTIMATE The volume increases by a factor of 6, from 75 mL to 450 mL, so the concentration must decrease by a factor of 6, from 3.5 M to about 0.6 M.

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Solving the above equation for M_2 and substituting in the known values gives

M_2 = \frac{M_1V_1}{V_2} = \frac{(3.5  M  glucose)(75  \cancel{mL})}{450  \cancel{mL}} = 0.58  M  glucose

BALLPARK CHECK: The calculated answer is close to our estimate of 0.6 M.

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