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Which of the following statements is incorrect? A solution of sodium phosphate will have a pH of less than 7. A solution of potassium bromide will have a pH of 7. A solution of ammonium chloride will have a pH less than 7. A solution of cobalt(II) chloride will have a pH less than 7. Given that the Kb of ammonia is 1.8 x 10-5 and the Ka of hydrofluoric acid is 6.8 x 10-4, a solution of ammonium fluoride will have a pH of less than 7

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Final answer:

pH of Solutions The incorrect statement is 'A solution of sodium phosphate will have a pH of less than 7', as such a solution is actually basic and will have a pH greater than 7. The others are correctly identified as neutral or acidic.

Step-by-step explanation:

The statement that 'A solution of sodium phosphate will have a pH of less than 7' is incorrect. Sodium phosphate is a salt of a strong base (sodium hydroxide) and a weak acid (phosphoric acid). As such, a solution of sodium phosphate is basic and will have a pH greater than 7.

For the other substances: a solution of potassium bromide is neutral and will have a pH of 7, because both potassium and bromide ions are from strong acids and bases,

so they do not affect the pH of the solution; a solution of ammonium chloride is acidic (pH less than 7) since ammonium ion is the conjugate acid of ammonia, a weak base; a solution of cobalt(II) chloride is also acidic (pH less than 7) because cobalt(II) ion hydrolyzes to a slight extent,

generating H3O+; and a solution of ammonium fluoride will be acidic because the ammonium ion is a stronger acid than fluoride ion is a base.

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