Ostwald dilution law

Ostwald Law of Dilution states that when a solution is diluted, its concentration decreases while its
volume increases. The law was first proposed by German chemist Wilhelm Ostwald in 1887 and is
based on the principles of thermodynamics. It is also known as the law of exponential dilution.

The law states that the concentration of a solution is inversely proportional to its volume. This
means that if the volume of a solution is doubled, its concentration is halved; if the volume is tripled,
its concentration is reduced to one-third, and so on. This is because when a solution is diluted, its
molecules become further apart and their interactions become weaker, resulting in a decrease in
concentration.

The law can be expressed mathematically as C1V1 = C2V2, where C1 and V1 refer to the initial
concentration and volume of the solution, and C2 and V2 refer to the final concentration and volume
of the solution. This equation can be used to calculate the final concentration of a given solution if
the initial concentration and volume are known.

The law can be used to explain many phenomena in chemistry, such as the dilution of solutes in a
solvent, the dilution of acids and bases, and the dilution of one liquid in another. It is also used to
explain the effects of temperature on the solubility of solutes in a solvent.

Ostwald's Law of Dilution is an important law in chemistry and is used to calculate dilution rates,
predict the effects of dilution on the concentration of a solution, and understand the behavior of
solutions. It is also used to explain a range of phenomena in other sciences, such as the dilution of a
gas in a vacuum or the dilution of a liquid in another liquid.

DERIVATION OF OSTWALD LAW OF DILUTION FOR WEAK ELECTROLYTE

Weak electrolyte in words, Ostwald’s Dilution Law states that a weak electrolyte will undergo
complete ionization only at infinite dilution.

To derive the law, first take into consideration, the dissociation constant of an acid.

Kd=[H+][A−][HA]

Where,

Kd

= dissociation constant

[H+]

= concentration of cation

[A−]

= concentration of anion

[HA]
Ostwald dilution law

= concentration of acid

From this point onwards, let us denote [HA]

by c0

A weak acid will not dissociate when dissolved in water and this will inhibit its ability to be a good
electrolyte. Hence, a weak acid will be a weak electrolyte.

Let us take the degree of dissociation of this electrolyte to be α

Thus, the concentration of each ionic entity will be αc0

. The fraction of undissociated acid that will be left can be denoted by (1−α)

; it follows that the concentration of the undissociated acid will be (1−α)c0

. Thus, the newly formed equation will be:

Kd=(αc0)(αc0)(1−α)c0

Kd=α2(1−α)⋅c0

For weak electrolytes, as a very small amount of dissociation is seen, α≪1

. Hence, it can be neglected in (1−α)

. The equation is modified to

Kd=α2⋅c0

α=Kdc0−−−√

This is known as Ostwald’s dilution law for weak electrolytes.

limitations of Ostwald dilution law

Ostwald dilution law states that the extent of dilution of a solution is directly proportional to the
initial concentration of the solution. While this law is widely used in chemical engineering, it has its
limitations.

One of the main limitations of the Ostwald dilution law is that it assumes that the solution is
composed of only one type of solute. This means that the law cannot be applied to solutions with
multiple solutes or solvents. Additionally, it ignores the effect of temperature, pressure and ionic
strength on the solubility of the solute.

Another limitation of this law is that it does not account for the possible changes in the chemical
properties of the solution due to the dilution process. This means that the law cannot be used to
predict the changes in the physical and chemical properties of the solution with varying dilution.
Ostwald dilution law

Finally, the Ostwald dilution law does not consider the effect of non-ideal solutions on the dilution
process. Non-ideal solutions often behave differently from ideal solutions and the dilution process
can be affected by this.

In conclusion, the Ostwald dilution law is a useful tool in chemical engineering but it has certain
limitations that must be considered when using it.