Why Was My pH Calculation Wrong?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on a pH calculation error involving the neutralization of 0.1M NaOH with 0.1M HCl. The user initially calculated the pH as 3.14 using the natural logarithm (ln) instead of the common logarithm (log base 10). The correct pH, as per the teacher's book, is 1.37, achieved by using the appropriate logarithmic function. The issue highlights the importance of understanding logarithmic bases in pH calculations.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of acid-base neutralization reactions
  • Familiarity with RICE tables for equilibrium calculations
  • Knowledge of logarithmic functions, specifically log base 10
  • Basic chemistry concepts, including pH and concentration calculations
NEXT STEPS
  • Learn about the differences between natural logarithm (ln) and common logarithm (log base 10)
  • Study acid-base titration calculations and their applications
  • Explore the concept of limiting reagents in chemical reactions
  • Investigate the use of online calculators like WolframAlpha for chemical computations
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Chemistry students, educators, and anyone involved in chemical calculations or pH analysis will benefit from this discussion.

patrickbotros
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This is an example in my book. I have the answer for it, but I don't know why my answer was wrong. Here's the question:
Lauren pours 40 mL of .1M NaOH into 100 mL of Megan's .1 M HCl. What is the pH?
Here's what I did:
R NaOH+HCl ⇔ NaCl + H2O
I .004 , .01 ⇔ 0 0
C -.004 , -.004 ⇔ +.004 , +.004
E 0 , .006 ⇔ .004 , .004​
Then, I made another RICE table for the remaining HCl:
R HCl + H2 O ⇔ H3O++ Cl-
I .006
C -.006 -.006 +.006 +.006​
So then pH=-log(.006/.14)=3.14
But my teacher's book says pH=1.37.
UPDATE: I was using WolframAlpha.com to calculate the log and apparently it calls log what I would call ln. When I entered log base 10 (.006/.14) everything worked out fine. If somebody knows how, delete this post please.
 
Last edited:
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This is just a limiting reagent question.
 

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