Rank the following 0.10 \(M\) solutions in order of increasing pH. a. \(\mathrm{NH}_{3}\) b. KOH c. \(\mathrm{HC}_{2} \mathrm{H}_{3} \mathrm{O}_{2}\) d. KCl e. HCl

We will now identify the nature of each chemical, whether it acts as an acid, base or a salt. a. \(\mathrm{NH}_{3}\): Ammonia is a weak base. b. KOH: Potassium hydroxide is a strong base. c. \(\mathrm{HC}_{2} \mathrm{H}_{3} \mathrm{O}_{2}\): Acetic acid is a weak acid. d. KCl: Potassium chloride is a salt derived from a strong acid (HCl) and a strong base (KOH). e. HCl: Hydrochloric acid is a strong acid.

Each of these chemicals will dissociate/ionize in water to release ions. We determine how these ions will affect the pH. a. \(\mathrm{NH}_{3}\): William dissociate in water to form \(\mathrm{NH}_{4}^+\) and \(\mathrm{OH}^-\) ions. Since it is a weak base, OH- ions will have a small concentration, resulting in a pH slightly above 7. b. KOH: It will ionize in water completely, forming K+ and OH- ions. The concentration of OH- ions will be much higher, resulting in a much higher pH. c. \(\mathrm{HC}_{2} \mathrm{H}_{3} \mathrm{O}_{2}\): It will donate protons to water molecules and form \(\mathrm{H}_{3} \mathrm{O}^+\) ions. As a weak acid, it will result in a pH slightly below 7. d. KCl: Being a salt formed from a strong acid and a strong base, it will not have any significant acidic or basic effect on the water. It will be considered neutral with pH around 7. e. HCl: It will ionize completely, dissociating into H+ ions (protons) and Cl- ions. The concentration of H+ ions will increase, resulting in a pH much lower than 7.

Based on the nature and dissociation/ionization of each solution, we can now rank the solutions in order of increasing pH. 1. HCl (strong acid) 2. \(\mathrm{HC}_{2} \mathrm{H}_{3} \mathrm{O}_{2}\) (weak acid) 3. KCl (neutral) 4. \(\mathrm{NH}_{3}\) (weak base) 5. KOH (strong base) So the order is e, c, d, a, b.