Question

Arrange these solutions in order of increasing acidity?

Answer 1

The solutions from most basic to most acidic are NaOH, NaCN, NaCl, NH4NO3, and H₂SO₄. NaOH is a strong base, NaCN a weak base, NaCl is neutral, NH4NO3 is mildly acidic, and H₂SO₄ is a strong acid.

Step-by-step explanation:

To arrange the following solutions in order of increasing acidity, we need to consider each compound's ability to donate H+ ions (acidity) or accept H+ ions (basicity). The compounds in question are NaOH, NaCN, H₂SO₄, NH4NO3, and NaCl. Here's the order from most basic to most acidic:

1. NaOH (Sodium hydroxide: a strong base that fully dissociates in water)
2. NaCN (Sodium cyanide: a weak base, less basic than NaOH)
3. NaCl (Sodium chloride: neutral, neither acidic nor basic, as it's a salt of a strong acid and strong base)
4. NH4NO3 (Ammonium nitrate: mildly acidic, as ammonium ions can release H+ into solution)
5. H₂SO₄ (Sulfuric acid: a strong acid that fully dissociates in water)

To rank them in order of increasing acidity, we simply reverse the order:

1. NaOH
2. NaCN
3. NaCl
4. NH4NO3
5. H₂SO₄