[syd]

Hi having trouble doing this problem, wondering if anyone can spot my mistake.

An HCl solution has a density of 1.27g/mL and is 37.5% HCl by mass.  What is the molarity of this concentrated HCl solution?

What I'm doing is this:  1 mole of HCl = 36.46 g.  density = mass/volume and molarity = moles of solute/volume in liters

So basically, I assume I've got 100 grams of this stuff, and calculate my volume that way. 1.27 g/mL = 100g/volume and I get 78.7 mL right?  Then I go to the molarity equation, M = 1.03 moles HCl/.0787L = 13.1 M???  Can molarity be higher than 1? lol..

Maybe I'm messing up a conversion somewhere, I get 1.03 moles of HCl from dividing the grams of HCl I would have in my 100 g mix, which is 37.5 g, by the molar mass of HCl which I calculated at 36.46 g.

Any insight would be greatly appreciated!

[Arkcon]

Can molarity be higher than 1? lol..

I haven't checked all your math, but, yes, molarity can be greater than one.  A little Googleing for 37% HCl should give you an approx molarity close to the one you're working with.  The specifics can vary, as this problem shows, but I don't see where the LOL comes from. 

[syd]

Hey thanks google did have something similar .

The obvious answer to your question is that I should've known whether molarity can be higher than one or not.. but a less obvious answer is that chemistry is fun so laugh it up when you can.