When the hydronium ion comcentration of a solution equals 1 mole per liter, what is the pH of the solution? Is the solution acidic or basic?
To determine the pH of a solution with a hydronium ion concentration of 1 mole per liter (or 1 M), we can use the formula for pH:
pH = -log[H3O+]
In this case, the hydronium ion concentration is 1 M. So, the pH can be calculated as follows:
pH = -log(1)
Since the log of 1 is 0, the pH is 0. Therefore, when the hydronium ion concentration of a solution equals 1 mole per liter, the pH of the solution is 0.
Now, to determine whether the solution is acidic or basic, we look at the pH scale:
- pH values from 0 to 6.9 indicate an acidic solution.
- A pH value of 7 indicates a neutral solution.
- pH values from 7.1 to 14 indicate a basic solution.
Since the pH of the solution with 1 M hydronium ion concentration is 0, which is below 7, it falls into the acidic range. Therefore, the solution is acidic.