Question

If a strong acid is added to water, identify what happens to:

a. the hydronium ion concentration
b. the hydroxide ion concentration
c. the pH
d. the pOH

Answer 1

When a strong acid is added to water, the hydronium ion concentration increases, the hydroxide ion concentration decreases, the pH decreases, and the pOH increases.

Step-by-step explanation:

When a strong acid is added to water, several changes occur:

1. The hydronium ion concentration increases because the strong acid dissociates completely to produce hydronium ions. This means that the concentration of hydronium ions will be greater than 1.0 × 10-7 M at 25 °C.
2. The hydroxide ion concentration decreases because the addition of a strong acid leads to a decrease in the concentration of hydroxide ions in the solution.
3. The pH of the solution decreases because the hydronium ion concentration increases. A lower pH value indicates a more acidic solution.
4. The pOH of the solution increases because the concentration of hydroxide ions decreases. A higher pOH value indicates a more acidic solution.