What can you say about the amount of hydrogen ions relative to the amount of hydroxide ions in a solution that has a pH of 2?

To understand the amount of hydrogen ions relative to hydroxide ions in a solution with a pH of 2, we need to analyze the concept of pH and the relationship between hydrogen ions (H+) and hydroxide ions (OH-) in a solution.

pH is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution, ranging from 0 to 14. A pH of 7 is considered neutral, while values below 7 indicate acidity, and values above 7 indicate alkalinity.

The pH scale is logarithmic, meaning that each unit represents a tenfold difference in acidity or alkalinity. Therefore, a solution with a pH of 2 is highly acidic.

In an acidic solution, there is an excess of hydrogen ions compared to hydroxide ions. Hydrogen ions (H+) are responsible for the acidity of a solution, while hydroxide ions (OH-) are responsible for alkalinity. In neutral solutions, the concentration of both ions is equal, but in acidic solutions, the concentration of hydrogen ions is higher.

To calculate the concentration of hydrogen ions relative to hydroxide ions, we can use the equation:

pH = -log[H+]

In this equation, [H+] represents the concentration of hydrogen ions in moles per liter (mol/L). By rearranging the equation, we can solve for [H+]:

[H+] = 10^(-pH)

By substituting the pH value of 2 into the equation, we get:

[H+] = 10^(-2)

Simplifying the equation, we find that:

[H+] = 0.01 mol/L

This means that in a solution with a pH of 2, the concentration of hydrogen ions is 0.01 mol/L. To determine the concentration of hydroxide ions, we can use the fact that in a neutral solution, the concentration of both ions is equal:

[OH-] = [H+]

Therefore, in this acidic solution with a pH of 2, the concentration of hydroxide ions is also 0.01 mol/L.

In summary, a solution with a pH of 2 indicates a highly acidic environment. In this case, the concentration of hydrogen ions (H+) and hydroxide ions (OH-) are both 0.01 mol/L.