CHEMISTRY 103B, Sections 1-4

Problem Set 5: 17 Points

Answer Key
Problem 1. (ten points) Your job is to assist the science officer by using the pH data to
match each label with the correct solution.
.Information Found on Label
Sodium nitrate, 0.0030 mol/L

Solution

pH

7.00

4.78

11.85

-0.18

2.24

Nitrate ion is the conjugate

base of a strong acid and is
therefore not a base.
Ammonium chloride, 0.50 mol/L

Ammonium ion is a weak acid

with Ka 5.7e-10. For a 0.50 M
solution, the hydrogen ion
concentration calculates to
1.7e-5 M and a pH of 4.78
Potassium hydroxide 0.0070 mol/L

KOH is an ionic hydroxide.

The concentration of
hydroxide ion is therefore
0.0070 M. This gives a pOH
of 2.15 and a corresponding
pH of 11.85.
Hydrochloric acid, 1.5 mol/L

HCl(aq) is a strong acid. The

hydronium ion concentration
will be 1.5 M making the pH
-0.18 (yes, negative).
Hydrofluoric acid, 0.050 mol/L

A weak acid with Ka 6.8e-4. A

0.050 M solution has
hydrogen ion concentration
0.0058 M and pH 2.24.

Sodium fluoride, 1.0 mol/L

8.57

0.52

12.15

8.37

2.63

Fluoride ion is the conjugate

base of HF, a weak acid and
is therefore a weak base.
A1.0 M solution has
hydroxide concentration
3.7e-6 and pOH 5.43 to give
a corresponding pH of 8.57.
Sulfuric acid, 0.20 mol/L

H2SO4(aq) is a strong diprotic

acid. The first ionization is
100% and the second is
around 40-50%. The
hydrogen ion concentration
will be around 0.30 M making
the pH around 0.52.
Calcium hydroxide, 0.0070 mol/L

Ca(OH)2 is an ionic metal

hydroxide. The OHconcentration will be 0.0140
M making the pOH 1.85 and
the pH 12.15.
Sodium acetate, 0.010 mol/L

Acetate ion is the conjugate

base of acetic acid, a weak
proton donor. Kb for acetate
ion is 5.6e-10. A 0.010 M
acetate ion solution will have
(OH-) 2.4e-6 to give pOH 5.63
and pH 8.37.
Acetic acid 0.30 mol/L

Acetic acid is a weak acid

with Ka 1.8e-5. The
hydronium ion concentration
for a 0.30 M solution
calculates to 2.3e-3 M and a

pH of 2.63.

Problem 2. (seven points) All the solutions referred to in this problem are 0.10 mol/L at
25 C.
(a)
Which of the following solutions will have equal concentrations of hydronium and
hydroxide ions? KCH3O, CH3COOH, KCN, LiCl, H3PO4
(b)

Which of the following solutions will have pH < 1.00? HCN, H2O, HCl, CaF2,

H2SO4
Which of the following solutions have pOH = 13.00? Ca(NO3)2, HNO3,
H2CO3, NaOH, HCl
(c)

Which of the following solutions will have pOH = 7.00? Ca(OH)2, CaCl2,
NaCl, KClO4, NaCH3CO2
(d)

(e)
Which of the following solutions will have [OH-] greater than or equal to 0.10
mol/L? Ca(OH)2, KOH, H2O, CaCl2, HF
(f)
Which of the following solutions will have pH > 13.00?
LiNO3, Ca(OH)2, NH4Cl

Ca(CH3)2, KOH,

(g)
Which of the following solutions will have hydronium ion concentration greater
than 1.0 x 10-7 mol/L but smaller than 0.10 mol/L? HCl, NaNO3, HCN, NaF, H3PO4