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Chapter 16: Problem 40

Which of the following solutions has the highest \(\mathrm{pH} ?\) (a) \(0.40 \mathrm{M} \mathrm{HCOOH},\) (b) \(0.40 \mathrm{M} \mathrm{HClO}_{4}\) (c) \(0.40 \mathrm{M} \mathrm{CH}_{3} \mathrm{COOH}\).

Short Answer

Expert verified
Given the three options, solution (b) containing 0.40 M HClO4 would have the lowest pH, implying that options (a) and (c), containing weak acids, will have the highest pH.

Step by step solution

01

Identify Properties of Substances

The solutions contain different substances: (a) formic acid (HCOOH), (b) perchloric acid (HClO4), and (c) acetic acid (CH3COOH). Out of these, HClO4 is a strong acid while the others are weak acids.
02

Find pH of Strong Acid

For strong acids like HClO4, the pH is calculated using the formula: pH = -log[H+]. However, for strong acids, the concentration of the H+ ion equals the molarity of the acid. Hence, the pH of HClO4 = -log(0.40).
03

Compare to Weak Acids

Weak acids like HCOOH and CH3COOH do not completely dissociate in water, so their H+ ion concentration (and thus pH) would be higher than that of a strong acid of the same molarity.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

A 0.0560 -g quantity of acetic acid is dissolved in enough water to make \(50.0 \mathrm{~mL}\) of solution. Calculate the concentrations of \(\mathrm{H}^{+}, \mathrm{CH}_{3} \mathrm{COO}^{-},\) and \(\mathrm{CH}_{3} \mathrm{COOH}\) at equilibrium. \(\left(K_{\mathrm{a}}\right.\) for acetic acid \(=\) \(\left.1.8 \times 10^{-5} .\right)\)

A \(0.040 M\) solution of a monoprotic acid is 14 percent ionized. Calculate the ionization constant of the acid.

List the factors on which the \(K_{\mathrm{a}}\) of a weak acid depends.

The ion-product constant for water is \(1.0 \times 10^{-14}\) at \(25^{\circ} \mathrm{C}\) and \(3.8 \times 10^{-14}\) at \(40^{\circ} \mathrm{C}\). Is the process $$\mathrm{H}_{2} \mathrm{O}(l) \rightleftharpoons \mathrm{H}^{+}(a q)+\mathrm{OH}^{-}(a q)$$ endothermic or exothermic?

Classify each of these following species as a Lewis acid or a Lewis base: \((\mathrm{a}) \mathrm{CO}_{2},(\mathrm{~b}) \mathrm{H}_{2} \mathrm{O},(\mathrm{c}) \mathrm{I}^{-},(\mathrm{d}) \mathrm{SO}_{2}\) (e) \(\mathrm{NH}_{3},\) (f) \(\mathrm{OH}^{-}\) \((\mathrm{g}) \mathrm{H}^{+},(\mathrm{h}) \mathrm{BCl}_{3}\).
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