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Chapter 15: Problem 29

Explain why pH values decrease as acidity increases.

Short Answer

Expert verified
Answer: pH values decrease as acidity increases because the pH scale is a logarithmic scale that measures the concentration of hydrogen ions (H+) in a solution. The logarithmic function in the pH formula (pH = -log10 [H+]) indicates an inverse relationship between acidity and pH. Therefore, as the concentration of H+ ions increases, the pH value decreases, indicating a more acidic solution.

Step by step solution

01

Define pH and acidity

"pH" is a scale used to specify how acidic or basic a water-based solution is. It stands for "potential of hydrogen" and ranges from 0 to 14. A pH of 7 is considered neutral, a pH less than 7 is considered acidic, and a pH greater than 7 is considered basic. "Acidity" is the property of a solution to have a higher concentration of hydrogen ions (H+).
02

Define the pH scale

The pH scale is a logarithmic scale, which means that each unit difference in pH corresponds to a tenfold change in the concentration of H+. The pH value is calculated using the following formula: \[ pH = -\log_{10} [H^{+}] \] Where [H+] represents the concentration of hydrogen ions in the solution.
03

Explain the relationship between H+ concentration and pH

As the concentration of hydrogen ions (H+) in a solution increases, the pH value decreases. This is because the logarithm function in the formula is negative, which indicates an inverse relationship between H+ concentration and pH. As a result, when the acidity of a solution increases, its pH value will decrease.
04

Provide examples

Consider three solutions with the following H+ concentrations: 1. Solution A: [H+] = 0.0001 (acidic) 2. Solution B: [H+] = 0.001 (more acidic) 3. Solution C: [H+] = 0.01 (most acidic) Computing the pH values for each solution using the formula mentioned earlier, we have: 1. Solution A: pH = -log10(0.0001) = 4 2. Solution B: pH = -log10(0.001) = 3 3. Solution C: pH = -log10(0.01) = 2 As we can see, the more acidic the solution (higher H+ concentration), the lower its pH value.
05

Conclusion

In summary, pH values decrease as acidity increases because the pH scale is a logarithmic scale that measures the concentration of hydrogen ions (H+) in a solution. The logarithmic function in the pH formula (pH = -log10 [H+]) indicates an inverse relationship between acidity and pH. Therefore, as the concentration of H+ ions increases, the pH value decreases, indicating a more acidic solution.

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