Chemistry Teach Yourself Series

Topic 1: pH
Author: Pat O’Shea

A: Level 14, 474 Flinders Street Melbourne VIC 3000

T: 1300 134 518 W: tssm.com.au E: info@tssm.com.au

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 Contents
pH formula: Derivation of formula................................................................................................................ 3

pH of strong acids .......................................................................................................................................... 4

Alkaline solutions .......................................................................................................................................... 6

pH of weak acids ........................................................................................................................................... 8

Solutions to Questions ................................................................................................................................. 10

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 pH
What is it?: a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution.

pH = − log 10 [ H 3O + ]

pH formula: Derivation of formula

Unit 2 Chemistry

HCl(aq) + H2O(l) H3O+(aq) + Cl --(aq)

HNO3(aq) + H2O(l) H3O+(aq) + NO3--(aq)

+ --
CH3COOH(l) + H2O(l) H3O (aq) + CH3COO (aq)

Acid definition. A substance that can donate a proton (H+)

CH3COOH is a weak acid. This means that it only donates a proportion of its protons.

2 M HCl
2 M HNO3 dangerous solution

2 M CH3COOH not a dangerous solution

Concentration of the acid itself does not indicate the acidity of the solution that will form.

2 M HCl leads to 2 M H3O+ solution

2 M HNO3 leads to 2 M H3O+ solution
2 M CH3COOH leads to 0.001 M H3O+ solution

Cl- H3O+ H3O+ H3O+ H3O+

H3O+ NO3- NO3- CH3COO-
Cl- H3O+ NO3- CHCOOH
Cl- Cl- NO3- CHCOOH
H3O+ H3O+ H3O+ CHCOOH

Diagram: The first two solutions are strong acids, the third is a weak acid.

Note that [H3O+] is a better measure of acidity, hence it is used in pH formula.

Lactic acid has a [H3O+] of 0.000001 M.

That is a very small number, hence the pH formula uses log to make this a more familiar number
log10(0.000001) = -6.

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 [H3O+] is the best measure of acid strength

pH = − log 10 [ H 3O + ]

Negative sign converts most answers to log scale makes small numbers
positive number manageable

pH of strong acids
Unit 2 Chemistry

Example

Calculate the pH of the following strong acids

a. 0.01 M HCl
b. 0.0001 M HNO3

Solution

Strong acid => [H3O+] assumed = concentration of the acid itself

a. [HCl] = 0.01 => [H3O+] = 0.01 => pH = -log10(0.01) = 2

b. [HCl] = 0.0001 => [H3O+] = 0.0001 => pH = -log10 (0.0001) =4

Short cut
If the concentration is a simple power of 10, a calculator is not required i.e.

a. pH = -log10(0.01)

pH = -log10(10-2) = 2

b. pH = -log10 (0.0001) note that the answer = the power of 10

with sign changed
pH = -log10 (10-4) = 4

This technique is helpful when working in reverse;

If the pH - is 4, then [H3O+] = 10-4

- is 2, then [H3O+] = 10-2

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Questions

1. Calculate the pH of the following solutions of nitric acid, HNO3

a. 1.0 M __________________

b. 0.1 M __________________

c. 0.00001 M __________________

2. Complete the table below

concentration M pH
1.0 0
0.10
0.001
1
4
6

3. Given the pH of the following solutions, what is the hydronium ion concentration?

a. pH = 1.0 ______________________

b. pH = 5.0 ______________________

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Alkaline solutions
Unit 2 Chemistry

Solutions containing or producing OH- ions are alkaline i.e. NaOH or NH3

The amount of [H3O+] has to be found using the formula

[H3O+][OH-] = 10-14 M2 at 25 0C.

Example

Calculate the pH of the following alkaline solutions

a. 0.01 M LiOH
b. 0.5 M NaOH

Solutions

Example a. can be completed without a calculator because powers of 10 are used.

Example b. is best completed with a calculator.

a. [H3O+][OH-] = 10-14

[OH-] = 0.01 = 10-2

=> [H3O+] x 10-2 = 10-14

10 −14
=> [H3O+] = −2
= 10 −12 => pH = - log(10-12) =12
10

b. [H3O+][OH-] = 10-14

[OH-] = 0.5

=> [H3O+] x 0.5 = 10-14

10 −14
=> [H3O+] = = 2.0 x10 −14 => pH = - log(10-12) =13.7
0.5

Example

c. Calculate the pH of a 0.005 M Mg(OH)2

Note: pH uses the [OH-]. If the Mg(OH)2 is 0.005, then [OH-]. = 2 x 0.005 = 0.01 M

Therefore the working is exactly the same as example a above and the answer is the same, 12.

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Question

4. Calculate the pH of a solution of

a. 0.001 M NaOH

__________________________
Care: watch for 2 here

b. b. 0.01 M Mg(OH)2

__________________________

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pH of weak acids
Unit 4 Chemistry

CH3COOH is a weak acid. It only donates a small percentage of its protons.

CH3COOH(l) + H2O(l) Ù H3O+(aq) + CH3COO-(aq)

The [H3O+] concentration is much less than the CH3COOH concentration, therefore the process of
calculating pH is different.

K= [H3O+][ CH3COO-] hence Ka = [H3O+][ CH3COO-]

[CH3COOH][H2O] [CH3COOH]

Ka = [H3O+][ CH3COO-]
[CH3COOH]

Questions will – give Ka and ask for pH OR give pH and ask for Ka

Examples
a. A 0.05 M ethanoic acid solution has a pH of 3.2. Calculate the value of Ka for the ethanoic acid.

b. The Ka value for a 0.01 M sample of hydocyanic acid is 6.3 x10-10. Calculate the pH of the solution.

Solutions
+ -
a. Ka = [H3O ][ CH3COO ]
[CH3COOH]

If pH = 3.2, then [H3O+ ]= 10-3.2 = 6.31 x 10-4

Since CH3COOH was the only acid added, [H3O+] = [CH3COO-] = 6.31 x 10-4

Ka = [H3O+][ CH3COO-] = 6.31 x 10-4 x 6.31 x 10-4 = 7.96 x 10-6 M

[CH3COOH] 0.05

b. Ka = [H3O+][ CN-]
[HCN]
To calculate pH, the [H3O+] needs to be determined.

If [H3O+] = X, then [CN-] also = X

=> Ka = X x X = 6.3 x 10-10

0.01

=> X = 6.3 x 10-10 x 0.01 = 6.3 x 10-12

=> X = 2.5 x 10-6

pH = -log10[H3O+]

= -log10(2.5 x 10-6) = 5.6

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Questions

5. Calculate the Ka of a 0.01 M solution of hydrocyanic acid if the pH is 4.7.

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

6. The acidity constant for ethanoic acid is 1.7 x 10-5. Calculate the pH of a 0.05 M solution of acid.

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

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Solutions to Questions
1.
a. pH = -log10(1.0) = 0
b. pH = -log10(0.10) = 1
c. pH = -log10(0.00001) = 5

2.
concentration M pH
1.0 0
0.10 1
0.001 3
0.10 1
0.0001 4
0.000001 6

3.
a. [H3O+] = 10-1 = 0.1
b. [H3O+] = 10-5 = 0.00001

4.
a. [H3O+][OH-] = 10-14
[OH-] = 0.001 = 10-3
=> [H3O+] x 10-3 = 10-14
10 −14
=> [H3O+] = = 10 −11 => pH = - log(10-11) =11
10 −3

b. [H3O+][OH-] = 10-14
[OH-] = 0.01 x 2 = 0.02
=> [H3O+] x 0.02 = 10-14
+ 10 −14
=> [H3O ] = = 5 x10 −13 => pH = - log(5 x 10-13) =12.3
0.02

5. If pH = 4.7, then [H3O+ ]= 10-4.7 = 2.0 x 10-5

Ka = [H3O+][ CN-] = 2.0 x 10-5 x 2.0 x 10-5 = 8.0 x 10-9 M

[HCN] 0.05

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6. The acidity constant for ethanoic acid is 1.7x10-5 . Calculate the pH of a 0.05 M solution of acid.
Ka = [H3O+][ CH3COO-]
[CH3COOH]

To calculate pH, the [H3O+] needs to be determined.

If [H3O+] = X, then [CH3COO-] also = X

=> Ka = X x X = 1.7x10-5
0.01

=> X2 = 1.7x10-5 x 0.01 = 1.7x10-7

=> X = 4.1 x 10-4

pH = -log10[4.1 x 10-4]

= 3.38

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