if 1.00M solution of NaOH was diluted enough would it eventually become acidic? showing calculations
No, it approaches a pH of neutral
but how do i show working for that?
To determine if a 1.00M solution of NaOH would become acidic upon dilution, we need to understand the properties of NaOH and the effect of dilution.
NaOH is a strong base and completely dissociates in water to produce hydroxide ions (OH-) and sodium ions (Na+). The hydroxide ions make the solution basic by accepting protons (H+) from the water molecules, increasing the concentration of OH- ions.
When this solution is diluted, the concentration of NaOH decreases, but the amount of water present increases. Therefore, the relative concentration of hydroxide ions decreases, making the solution less basic. However, it does not become acidic.
To calculate the new concentration of hydroxide ions after dilution, you need to know the volume of the original 1.00M solution that is being diluted and the final total volume of the diluted solution.
Let's assume you add V mL of water to dilute the solution, resulting in a total volume of (1.00 + V) mL. Since the initial concentration is 1.00M, there will be 1.00 moles of NaOH in the initial solution. This means that the final concentration of OH- ions can be found by dividing the number of moles of OH- by the total volume of the diluted solution.
The equation can be set up as follows:
1.00 mol NaOH / (1.00 + V) L = [OH-]
Note: 1 mL is equal to 0.001 L.
Let's say you dilute the solution by adding 100 mL of water. Plugging these values into the equation:
1.00 mol NaOH / (1.00 + 0.100) L = [OH-]
1.00 mol NaOH / 1.10 L = [OH-]
[OH-] ≈ 0.909 M
This calculation shows that after diluting 1.00M NaOH solution by adding 100 mL of water, the concentration of OH- ions will be approximately 0.909 M. While this concentration is lower than the initial concentration of 1.00M, it remains a basic solution since the concentration of OH- ions is still greater than the concentration of H+ ions (which would be present in an acidic solution).
Therefore, even after significant dilution, a 1.00M solution of NaOH will remain basic, not acidic.