A student was assigned to take water samples from a lake near his home. He measured the pH of one of the water samples to be 6.0. Which of the following best describes this sample of water?
a
slightly basic
b
slightly acidic
c
highly basic
d
highly acidic
e
neutral
b) slightly acidic
The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14, with 7 considered neutral. A pH of 6.0 is slightly acidic, so the best answer is (b) slightly acidic.
To determine the description of the water sample based on its pH of 6.0, we need to understand the pH scale.
The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14, with 7 being considered neutral. Values below 7 are considered acidic, while values above 7 are considered basic or alkaline.
In this case, a pH of 6.0 indicates that the water sample is slightly acidic. So, the correct answer would be option b: slightly acidic.