POH and Dissociation Constant

In summary, when given the concentration of a monoprotic acid and the value for KW, the pOH can be calculated by dividing KW by the concentration of the acid and taking the negative log. Similarly, the Ka of an unknown monoprotic acid can be calculated by first finding the concentration of H3O+ through the pH and then using the Ka equation to solve for Ka.
  • #1
Soaring Crane
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0
1. A bottle of strong monoprotic acid was labelled as having a concentration of 2.040 x 10-1 mol/L. Given that KW = 1.00 x 10-14, determine the p0H of the acid solution.

[H3O+][OH-]= K_w

[OH-] = k_W/[H3O+] = (1.00*10^-14)/(2.040*10^-1 M) = 4.90196078E-14

-log[OH-] = pOH
-log[4.90196E-14] = pOH = 13.3096 = 13.3

2. The pH of a 0.2700 molar solution of unknown monoprotic acid was measured and found to be 5.75. Calculate the Ka of this acid.

pH = -log[H3O+]
5.75 = -log[H3O+]
antilog[-5.75] = [H3O+] = 0.000001778 = X

K_A = [H3O+][A-]/[HA] = X^2/[0.2700 - X] = (0.000001778)/(0.2700 - 0.000001778) = 1.17122166E-11 = 1.17E-11

Thanks.
 
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  • #2
For the first one you could have just found the pH and added that number from 14 to get pOH. But anyway, stick to your way since you probably memorized it already.


K_A = [H3O+][A-]/[HA] = X^2/[0.2700 - X] = (0.000001778)^2/(0.2700 - 0.000001778) = 1.17122166E-11 = 1.17E-11

Though your answer is right (you just posted what you did after finding right solution, right?), you forgot to put square 1.778E-6 in the message.
 
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  • #3
Your calculations and answers are correct. The pOH of the acid solution is 13.3, which means the pH is 0.7. This is considered a strong acid, as it is close to the maximum pH of 14. The Ka of the unknown acid is 1.17E-11, which indicates that it is a weak acid. These values are important in understanding the strength and behavior of acids in solution.
 

1. What is POH and how is it related to pH?

POH stands for "power of hydrogen" and is a measure of the concentration of hydroxide ions in a solution. It is calculated by taking the negative log of the hydroxide ion concentration. POH and pH are related because they are both measures of acidity/basicity, with POH representing the basic side of the scale and pH representing the acidic side.

2. How is the dissociation constant related to POH?

The dissociation constant, also known as Ka, is a measure of the strength of an acid. It is related to POH through the equation pKa = 14 - pOH. This means that as POH increases, the acidity of the solution decreases and the dissociation constant decreases.

3. What is the significance of the dissociation constant?

The dissociation constant is significant because it helps to predict the strength of an acid. A lower Ka value indicates a weaker acid, while a higher Ka value indicates a stronger acid. This information is important in many chemical reactions and processes.

4. How does temperature affect the dissociation constant?

Temperature can affect the dissociation constant in two ways. First, increasing the temperature can increase the rate of a chemical reaction, which can in turn affect the dissociation constant. Second, changing the temperature can also change the equilibrium constant, which is used to calculate the dissociation constant. In general, as temperature increases, the dissociation constant of an acid increases.

5. How is the dissociation constant experimentally determined?

The dissociation constant can be experimentally determined through a process called titration. This involves adding a known amount of a strong base to a solution of the acid, and measuring the change in pH at different points. The point at which the pH changes the most is known as the equivalence point, and can be used to calculate the dissociation constant. It can also be determined using mathematical calculations based on the concentration of the acid and its conjugate base.

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