What does 'concentration' mean?
The concentration of a solution is the amount of solute, in gramsor moles, that is dissolved in 1 dm3 of solution.
In general, to find the concentration of a solution in moles per dm3:
amount of solute (mol)
concentration (mol/dm3) =
volume of solution (dm3)
Remember!
- 1 dm3 = 1 litre
= 1000 cm3
= 1000 ml
- All these mean the same thing:
moles per dm3
mol/dm3
mol dm-3
moles per litre
Finding the amount of solute in a solution
If you know the concentration of solution, and its volume:
- you can work out how much solute it contains, in moles.
Just rearrange the equation from last page:
amount of solute (mol) = concentration (mol/dm3) x volume (dm3)
- you can then convert moles to grams, by multiplying the number of moles Mr.
Use the calculation triangle:
conc (mol/dm3) x vol (dm3)
amount (mol)