Question

A sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄) solution is prepared by diluting 50 ml of a 2 M solution to 250 ml. Calculate the pH for this solution.

a) 1.30
b) 1.60
c) 2.30
d) 2.60

Answer 1

To calculate the pH of the sulfuric acid solution, you need to calculate the moles of H₂SO₄ in the 50 mL of the 2 M solution and then calculate the concentration of H₂SO₄ in the diluted solution. Finally, you can use the concentration of H₃O⁺ ions to calculate the pH.

Step-by-step explanation:

The pH of a solution can be calculated using the formula: pH = -log[H₃O⁺]. In this case, we need to calculate the pH for a sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄) solution that is prepared by diluting 50 mL of a 2 M solution to 250 mL.

1. First, calculate the moles of H₂SO₄ in the 50 mL of the 2 M solution. Moles = concentration (M) x volume (L). 2 M x 0.050 L = 0.1 moles of H₂SO₄.
2. Next, calculate the concentration of H₂SO₄ in the diluted solution. Concentration = moles/volume. Concentration = 0.1 moles/0.250 L = 0.4 M.
3. Finally, calculate the pH using the concentration of H₃O⁺ ions. pH = -log[H₃O⁺]. pH = -log(0.4) = 0.40.