Pick the correct answer to the following question. Write a brief statement explaining why each choice of answers is correct or incorrect.

A person is hyperventilating. Their rapid rate of breathing causes a loss of carbon dioxide than usual from the body, resulting in a decline in the amount of hydrogen ions in the blood plasma. As a result:
A. The pH of the blood will rise.
B. The pH of the blood will fall.
C. The pH of the blood will not be affected.

The correct answer is A. The pH of the blood will rise.

Explanation:
Hyperventilation leads to an excessive elimination of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the body, which results in a decrease in the concentration of carbonic acid (H2CO3) in the blood. Carbonic acid dissociates into hydrogen ions (H+) and bicarbonate ions (HCO3-). With the reduction of carbonic acid, there is a decline in the concentration of hydrogen ions in the blood plasma. Since pH is a measure of the concentration of hydrogen ions in a solution, a decrease in hydrogen ion concentration will cause the pH to rise, becoming more basic.

Let's evaluate why the other options are incorrect:

B. The pH of the blood will fall.
This option is incorrect because hyperventilation causes a decrease in the concentration of carbonic acid and hydrogen ions in the blood, which leads to a rise in pH, not a fall.

C. The pH of the blood will not be affected.
This option is incorrect because hyperventilation does affect the pH of the blood. As mentioned earlier, the decrease in hydrogen ion concentration due to the loss of carbonic acid causes the pH to rise.