Question

The pH of a solution of trimethylacetic acid is measured to be . Calculate the acid dissociation constant of trimethylacetic acid. Round your answer to significant digits.

a) 2.5
b) 3.0
c) 4.2
d) 5.8

Answer 1

To find the acid dissociation constant (Ka) for trimethylacetic acid, the pH of the solution and the initial concentration of the acid is needed. The concentration of hydrogen ions [H+] is found using the pH, and then the Ka is calculated. But the pH value is missing in the question, making the calculation impossible to complete.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate the acid dissociation constant (Ka) for trimethylacetic acid, you would typically use the pH of the solution and the initial concentration of the acid. However, it seems there's an error with the provided information as the actual pH value of the solution was not given in the question. If the pH were provided, the calculation would start with the equation pH = -log[H+], where [H+] is the concentration of hydrogen ions. You could then use the expression for Ka, which is Ka = [H+][A-]/[HA], where [HA] is the concentration of the acid and [A-] is the concentration of its conjugate base. Given the initial concentration of the acid and assuming that the concentration of [A-] is equal to [H+] at equilibrium, you could then solve for Ka.