Source: additional NESA sample questions
https://www.educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/wcm/connect/59826472-38f1-4ed7-8c8a-a3bb42842fd1/chemistry-2019-additional-sample-hsc-questions.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CVID=
For Nesa's graph below, why is the conductivity initially increasing even before the equivalence point?
My understanding is that the concentration of ions would first decrease until equivalence point (H+ reacts with OH- to form H2O), then after there will be excess base molecules and thus OH- ions, hence conductivity should only increase AFTER equivalence point. This aligns with attachment 4.
Attachments:
1. Question part (a)
2. Question part (b)
3. Graph answer part (b)
4. ConquerHSC weak acid + strong base
Hi Jefferson,
To my understanding, conductivity increases from the outset because citric acid, being a weak triprotic acid, will continue to dissociate as base is added (the dissociation equilibrium shifts to the right as base is added, by Le Chatelier's Principle, producing additional H
+ and C
6H
5O
73-) - this increases the concentration of ions in the solution, thus conductivity rises. However, since neutralisation is still taking place, and water is formed, the gradient will be lower compared to that beyond equivalence.
It is indeed a confusing concept as your graph, in addition to being from Conquer HSC, also aligns perfectly with what the Chemistry in Focus textbook suggests. I'm not sure how such a discrepancy would be dealt with at the Marking Centre.