Most suitable salt which can be used for efficient clotting of blood will be
(a) NaHCO3
(b) FeSO4
(c

Q: Why is blood considered a negatively charged sol?

Blood is a colloidal dispersion where the dispersed phase consists of various proteins like albumin and globulin in the plasma. At the physiological pH of blood, these proteins carry a net negative charge, making the entire sol negatively charged.

Q: What exactly is coagulation in this context?

Coagulation is the process of neutralizing the electrical charge on colloidal particles. Once neutralized, the particles stop repelling each other, come together (aggregate), and settle down, which in the case of blood, forms a clot.

Q: Why doesn't sodium bicarbonate work as well?

Sodium bicarbonate provides $\text{Na}^+$ ions, which only have a +1 charge. According to the Hardy-Schulze rule, a +1 ion has a very weak coagulating power compared to ions with higher valencies like +2 or +3.

Q: Can we use any salt with a +3 ion to stop bleeding?

Theoretically, any +3 ion would be highly effective at coagulating blood. However, for medical or practical purposes, the salt must be non-toxic and safe for external application. This is why Ferric chloride ($\text{FeCl}_3$) and Alum (containing $\text{Al}^{3+}$) are commonly used.

Q: What is the Hardy-Schulze rule?

The Hardy-Schulze rule states that the coagulating power of an electrolyte is directly proportional to the valency of the active ion (the ion carrying a charge opposite to that of the colloidal particles). Higher the charge, greater the coagulating power.

Question

Most suitable salt which can be used for efficient clotting of blood will be

Options:

(A) $	ext{NaHCO}_3$

(B) $	ext{FeSO}_4$

(C) $	ext{Mg(HCO}_3)_2$

(D) $	ext{FeCl}_3$

Sigma Percentile · Accepted Answer

### The Nature of Blood

When we think of blood, we usually picture a simple red liquid. However, from a chemical perspective, blood is a fascinating **colloidal solution**. In this sol, various proteins like albumin and globulin are dispersed in the blood plasma. At the physiological pH of our bodies, these protein particles carry a net **negative charge** on their surface.

Because all these particles carry the same negative charge, they repel each other. This electrostatic repulsion prevents them from clumping together, keeping our blood flowing smoothly through our veins and arteries.

### The Hardy-Schulze Principle

So, what happens when we get a cut and need the bleeding to stop? We need to force these negatively charged particles to clump together and form a clot. This process is known as **coagulation**.

To overcome the repulsion between the negative particles, we must introduce positively charged ions (cations) to neutralize them. This is where the **Hardy-Schulze rule** comes into play. The rule states a very simple but powerful fact: **the coagulating power of an ion is directly proportional to its valency** (the magnitude of its charge).

In simpler terms, a cation with a $+3$ charge will be exponentially more effective at neutralizing a negative sol than a cation with a $+1$ or $+2$ charge.

### Analyzing the Contenders

Let's evaluate the salts provided in the options to see which one brings the heaviest artillery to the coagulation battle:

1. **$	ext{NaHCO}_3$** (Sodium bicarbonate) dissociates to give $	ext{Na}^+$ ions. This is a $+1$ charge.
2. **$	ext{Mg(HCO}_3)_2$** (Magnesium bicarbonate) dissociates to give $	ext{Mg}^{2+}$ ions. This is a $+2$ charge.
3. **$	ext{FeSO}_4$** (Ferrous sulfate) dissociates to give $	ext{Fe}^{2+}$ ions. This is also a $+2$ charge.
4. **$	ext{FeCl}_3$** (Ferric chloride) dissociates to give $	ext{Fe}^{3+}$ ions. This is a massive $+3$ charge.

### The Final Verdict

Comparing the valencies, the order of coagulating power is clearly:

$$ 	ext{Fe}^{3+} > 	ext{Mg}^{2+} = 	ext{Fe}^{2+} > 	ext{Na}^+ $$

The **$	ext{Fe}^{3+}$** ion from Ferric chloride has the highest positive charge. Therefore, it exerts the strongest electrostatic pull on the negatively charged blood particles, neutralizing them rapidly and causing them to coagulate efficiently.

This makes **$	ext{FeCl}_3$** the most suitable salt for the efficient clotting of blood. This exact same principle is why barbers use Alum (which contains highly charged $	ext{Al}^{3+}$ ions) to quickly stop bleeding from minor shaving cuts!

Animated Solution for Chemistry - Surface Chemistry: Most suitable salt which can be used for efficient clotting of blood will be

Select Answer:

Visualized Solution

Nature of Blood

Hardy-Schulze Rule

Analyzing the Options

Comparing Coagulating Power

Conclusion

Real-world Application

The Sigma Insight: Colloids, Micelles and and Emulsions

The Nature of Blood

The Hardy-Schulze Principle

Analyzing the Contenders

The Final Verdict

Similar Questions

Which of the salt-solution is most effective for coagulation of arsenious sulphide?

The coagulating power of electrolytes having ions $Na^{+}$ , $Al^{3 +}$ and $Ba^{2 +}$ for arsenic sulphide sol increases in the order

For the coagulation of a negative sol, the species below, that has the highest flocculating power is

Alum is widely used to purify water since

100 mL of $0.0018% (w/v)$ solution of $Cl^{-}$ ion was the minimum concentration of $Cl^{-}$ required to precipitate a negative sol in one h. The coagulating value of $Cl^{-}$ ion is ......... (Nearest integer)

The sol given below with negatively charged colloidal particles is

The flocculation value of $HCl$ for arsenic sulphide sol. is $30 m mol L^{- 1}$ . If $H_{2} SO_{4}$ is used for the flocculation of arsenic sulphide, the amount in grams of $H_{2} SO_{4}$ is $250 mL$ required for the above purpose is ...... (molecular mass of $H_{2} SO_{4} = 98 g /mol$ )

The correct option among the following is

Which one of the following statements is false for hydrophilic sols ?

The disperse phase in colloidal iron (III) hydroxide and colloidal gold is positively and negatively charged, respectively. Which of the following statement is not correct?