The pH of a certain acid having a concentration of 0.20 M was measured. The pH was 2.50. Was this a strong or a weak acid?
I answered it is a strong acid because strong acids have a lower pH.
I am just not too sure if there is anything missing in my answer.
Any help would be appreciated.
Your answer may or may not be right. However, the reasoning is incorrect. You know that if a 0.20 M acid is a strong acid that it must ionize completely; therefore, the (H^+) will be 0.2M and the pH will be about 0.7. The pH isn't 0.7 so it must b a weak acid. Does that make sense? A pH of 2.5 is a lower H^+ than pH 0.7 and you would have a lower H^+ for a weak acid.
Your answer is partially correct. However, pH alone is not enough to determine whether an acid is strong or weak. The concentration of the acid also plays a crucial role in determining its strength.
To fully answer the question, you need to consider both the pH and the concentration of the acid.
A strong acid is defined as an acid that completely ionizes or dissociates in water, producing a high concentration of hydronium ions (H3O+). Examples of strong acids include hydrochloric acid (HCl) and sulfuric acid (H2SO4).
On the other hand, a weak acid only ionizes partially in water, producing a relatively low concentration of hydronium ions. Examples of weak acids include acetic acid (CH3COOH) and formic acid (HCOOH).
To determine whether an acid is strong or weak from the given information, you can compare the pH of the acid with the pH of known strong and weak acids at the same concentration.
For example, if the pH of the acid in question is lower than the pH of a known weak acid at the same concentration, then it is likely a strong acid. However, if the pH is higher than the pH of a known weak acid at the same concentration, then it is likely a weak acid.
So, to fully answer the question, you would need to compare the pH of the acid (pH 2.50) with the pH of known strong and weak acids at a concentration of 0.20 M. If the pH of the acid is lower than the pH of known weak acids at the same concentration, then it can be concluded that the acid in question is a strong acid.