Is rainwater a strong weak or nonelectrolyte?

Rainwater is fairly pure however it can also pick up some particulate matter and electrolytes from the air, although not much. It will be saturated with atmospheric CO2, so with a little buffering capacity, it will be at a pH of about 5.5, which is also the pH of carbonic acid, a weak acid. Hence rainwater is a weak acid.

when 25.0 ml of 0.700 mol/l naoh was mixed in a calorimeter with 25.0 ml of 0.700 mol/l hcl, both initially at 20.0 °c, the temperature increased to 22.1 °c. the heat capacity of the calorimeter is 279 j/°c.

the equation for the reaction is:

naoh + hcl → nacl + h₂o

moles of hcl = 0.0250 l hcl ×

0.700

mol hcl

1 l hcl = 0.0175 mol hcl

volume of solution = (25.0 + 25.0) ml = 50.0 ml

mass of solution = 50.0 ml soln ×

1.00

ml soln

= 50.0 g soln

δt=t2-t1

= (22.1 – 20.0) °c = 2.1 °c

the heats involved are

heat from neutralization + heat to warm solution + heat to warm calorimeter = 0

q1+q2+q3=0

nδh+mcδt+cδt=0

0.0175 mol ×

δh

+ 50.0 g × 4.184 j·g⁻¹°c⁻¹ × 2.1 °c + 279 j°c⁻¹ × 2.1 °c = 0

0.0175 mol ×

δh

+ 439.32 j + 585.9 j = 0

0.0175 mol ×

δh

= -1025.22 j

δh=1025.22j0.0175 mol= -58 600 j/mol = -58.6 kj/mol