Coordination Chemistry 3 Part 1 Overview Getting Started Techniques Procedure FAQ Full Lab Manual Introduction & Goals Chemistry & Background Key Questions Prelab Problems Safety Procedure In Your Write-up Experiments Index ChemLab Home		FAQ Index Question 1 How do I calculate an experimental molar mass? Can't I just add up all the atomic masses to figure out the molar mass of the complex salt? Question 2 Why are we doing titrations, when we don't study acids and bases in Chem 6? Submissions Submit a question or an answer to the FAQ Questions & Answers Question 1 How do I calculate an experimental molar mass? Can't I just add up all the atomic masses to figure out the molar mass of the complex salt? Professor Hair Adding up all the atomic masses will give you a theoretical molar mass for [Co(NH3)5H2O][NO3]3, assuming your sample contains only the pure compound. Your experimental molar mass can be calculated from the moles of compound, determined from your titration endpoint. By dividing the mass of compound by the experimentally determined moles of acid, you can calculate an experimental g/mol, to compare with the theoretical value. Question 2 Why are we doing titrations, when we don't study acids and bases in Chem 6? Professor Hair Although acids and bases are discussed in Chem 5, in Chem 6 you will study the structure and bonding of transitions metal complexes, like [Co(NH3)5H2O]3+. The acidity of the water ligand is a direct result of the bonding to the cobalt ion in the complex. The bonding and structural factors that make a molecule act as an acid or base are a key topic in organic chemistry, which you may take next year. You can also think of this week's lab as a nice MCAT review, without having to pay Kaplan for it! Submissions Submit to the FAQ You can submit either a question or an answer to a question about this week's experiment. Your submission will be mailed to the site editor, who will respond to you directly and also add your submission to the FAQ page. Having trouble with the submission procedure? Check your Kerberos installation. If you lose the FAQ Submission window it may be hidden behind another browser window.
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