Chapter 16: Problem 55
A particular sample of vinegar has a \(\mathrm{pH}\) of \(2.90\). If acetic acid is the only acid that vinegar contains \(\left(K_{a}=1.8 \times 10^{-5}\right)\), calculate the concentration of acetic acid in the vinegar.
Short Answer
Expert verified
The concentration of acetic acid in the vinegar is approximately \(6.9 \times 10^{-2}\) M.
Step by step solution
01
Write down the given information
From the exercise, we have:
pH = 2.90
\(K_a = 1.8 \times 10^{-5}\) (Acid dissociation constant for acetic acid)
Our goal is to find the concentration of acetic acid in the vinegar.
02
Write down the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation
The Henderson-Hasselbalch equation is given by:
\[pH = pK_a + \log_{10} \frac{[A^-]}{[HA]}\]
Where:
pH is the pH of the solution,
\(pK_a\) is the negative logarithm of the acid dissociation constant \(K_a\),
\([A^-]\) is the concentration of the conjugate base of the weak acid, and
\([HA]\) is the concentration of the weak acid.
03
Calculate pKa
In order to use the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation, we need to find \(pK_a\) first. We can calculate pKa using the equation:
\[pK_a = -\log_{10}K_{a}\]
Substitute the given \(K_a\) value:
\[pK_a = -\log_{10}(1.8 \times 10^{-5})\]
Calculate the value of pKa:
\[pK_a \approx 4.74\]
04
Use the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation to find acetic acid concentration
Now that we have pH and pKa, we can use the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation to find the concentration of acetic acid in the vinegar. Since acetic acid is the only acid present, the term \(\frac{[A^-]}{[HA]}\) will represent the ratio of conjugate base concentration to acetic acid concentration.
Rearrange the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation to find the ratio \(\frac{[A^-]}{[HA]}\):
\[\frac{[A^-]}{[HA]} = 10^{(pH - pK_a)}\]
Substitute the values of pH and pKa:
\[\frac{[A^-]}{[HA]} = 10^{(2.90 - 4.74)}\]
\[ \frac{[A^-]}{[HA]} \approx 6.9 \times 10^{-2}\]
For dilute solutions as assumed, the concentration of the conjugate base \([A^-]\) will be approximately equal to that of the acetic acid \([HA]\).
Let \(x\) be the concentration of acetic acid,
\[ \frac{x}{x} \approx 6.9 \times 10^{-2}\]
\[ x \approx 6.9 \times 10^{-2} \; \text{M}\]
05
State the final answer
The concentration of acetic acid in the vinegar is approximately \(6.9 \times 10^{-2}\) M.
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Henderson-Hasselbalch equation
The Henderson-Hasselbalch equation is a critical tool in acid-base chemistry. This equation is derived from the acid dissociation equilibrium and is used to relate the pH of a solution to the pKa (the negative logarithm of the acid dissociation constant) and the ratio of the concentrations of the conjugate base ([A^-]) to the weak acid ([HA]). The formula is:
- \[ pH = pK_a + \log_{10} \left(\frac{[A^-]}{[HA]}\right) \]
Acetic Acid Concentration
Acetic acid (CH₃COOH) is a common weak acid found in vinegar. In the exercise, we aim to determine its concentration in a vinegar sample with a known pH. The acetic acid dissociates slightly in water, forming hydrogen ions and acetate ions (CH₃COO^-).To find the concentration of acetic acid, we use the calculated \(\frac{[A^-]}{[HA]}\) ratio from the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation:
- Calculated as \(6.9 \times 10^{-2}\) from the given pH and the pKa of acetic acid.
pH Calculation
Calculating pH is an essential skill in understanding acid-base equilibria. pH is defined as the negative log of the hydrogen ion concentration ([H^+]) in the solution. Given the initial information of pH = 2.90 for the vinegar, we back-calculate to derive other characteristics of the solution.The steps involve:
- Recognizing that \(pH = -\log_{10} [H^+]\), which leads to \([H^+] = 10^{-pH}\).
- Using pH to calculate the \(pK_a\), by relating it to the K_a of acetic acid (\[pK_a = -\log_{10} K_a\]), providing us a bridge to further apply the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation.