What is the pH of a 2.5 x 10-2 M HCl solution? I'm so confused how to find this :(

Not very difficult.

pH = -log(H^+)
You should get about 1.60

0.003979

To find the pH of a solution, you need to know the concentration of hydrogen ions (H+) in the solution. In the case of hydrochloric acid (HCl), when it dissolves in water, it completely dissociates into hydrogen ions (H+) and chloride ions (Cl-). Thus, the concentration of H+ ions in a hydrochloric acid solution is equal to the concentration of the HCl.

In this case, you have a 2.5 x 10^(-2) M HCl solution, which means the concentration of HCl is 2.5 x 10^(-2) M, and the concentration of H+ ions is also 2.5 x 10^(-2) M.

The pH scale measures the concentration of H+ ions in a solution on a logarithmic scale from 0 to 14, where pH 7 is considered neutral. pH values below 7 indicate an acidic solution, while pH values above 7 indicate a basic solution.

To calculate the pH of an acidic solution, you need to take the negative logarithm (base 10) of the concentration of H+ ions. The formula is:

pH = -log[H+]

In this case, you have a concentration of 2.5 x 10^(-2) M. Taking the negative logarithm of this concentration:

pH = -log(2.5 x 10^(-2))

Using a scientific calculator, calculate -log(2.5 x 10^(-2)). The result is approximately 1.602.

Therefore, the pH of a 2.5 x 10^(-2) M HCl solution is approximately 1.602.