which of these solutions is the most basic? i thought it was [OH-]=1*10^-13. BUT the answer is [H+]= 1*10^-11. HOW COME THAT IS THE ANSWER?
Let's review a little.
pH of solution with (H^+) = 1 x 10^-11 = 11.
A solution with (OH^-) = 1 x 10^-13 is pOH = 13; therefore, pH = 14 - 13 = 1. So pH 11 is MUCH more basic than pH of 1.
OR you can look at it another way.
If (OH^-) = 1 x 10^-13, then
(H^+)(OH^-) = Kw
(H^+) = Kw/(OH^-) = 1 x 10^-14/1 x 10^-13 = 1 x 10^-1 and compare that with (H^+) = 1 x 10^-11. The 1 x 10^-11 is much more basic since 10^-11 is a very small number and much less than 10^-1
ahaa, that makes sense, thanks for you help doc. ;)
To determine which solution is the most basic, we need to compare the concentrations of hydroxide ions ([OH-]) and hydronium ions ([H+]) in each solution.
The concentration of hydroxide ions, [OH-], represents the basicity of a solution. A higher concentration of hydroxide ions indicates a more basic solution.
The concentration of hydronium ions, [H+], represents the acidity of a solution. A lower concentration of hydronium ions indicates a more basic solution.
Comparing the given concentrations, [OH-]=1*10^-13 and [H+]=1*10^-11:
1. [OH-]=1*10^-13: This concentration indicates a very low concentration of hydroxide ions, suggesting a slightly acidic or neutral solution.
2. [H+]=1*10^-11: This concentration indicates an even lower concentration of hydronium ions compared to [OH-]. Since [H+] is lower than [OH-], the solution will be basic.
Based on the given concentrations, the solution with [H+]=1*10^-11 is more basic.
To determine which of these solutions is the most basic, you need to understand the concept of pH and pOH. The pH scale measures the acidity or basicity of a solution, with values ranging from 0 to 14. A pH value below 7 indicates acidity, a value of 7 is neutral, and a value above 7 indicates basicity.
pOH, on the other hand, is the negative logarithm of the hydroxide ion concentration ([OH-]) in a solution. The higher the pOH value, the more basic the solution is.
To compare the solutions [OH-] = 1 * 10^-13 and [H+] = 1 * 10^-11, we can use the relation between pH, pOH, and the concentration of H+ and OH- ions in a solution:
pH + pOH = 14
Here, both solutions have the same concentration, but in different ions. We can calculate the pOH of the first solution by finding the negative logarithm of its OH- concentration:
pOH = -log([OH-]) = -log(1 * 10^-13) = 13
Now, we can calculate the pH for the second solution:
pH = 14 - pOH = 14 - 13 = 1
Therefore, the solution with a pH of 1 (or [H+] = 1 * 10^-1) is more basic compared to the solution with a pOH of 13 (or [OH-] = 1 * 10^-13). It's important to note that the concentration of H+ ions determines the acidity/basicity of a solution, and in this case, the higher concentration of H+ ions makes it more basic.