Question

The pH of a 0.1 M solution of sodium acetate would be:

a) acidic, because the acetate ion is acidic.
b) acidic, because the acetate ion forms acetic acid
c) basic, because the acetate ion reacts with water to form acetic acid and OH-
d) neutral, because salts are neither acidic nor basic

Answer 1

The pH of a 0.1 M solution of sodium acetate would be basic as the acetate ion hydrolyzes to form acetic acid and OH-, which increases the pH.

Step-by-step explanation:

The pH of a 0.1 M solution of sodium acetate would be basic, because the acetate ion reacts with water to form acetic acid and OH-. Sodium acetate (NaCH3CO2) dissociates in water into sodium ions (Na+) and acetate ions (CH3CO2−). Since sodium ions are spectrally inactive, they do not affect the pH. The acetate ion, being the conjugate base of acetic acid, a weak acid, will undergo hydrolysis, reacting with water molecules to produce acetic acid (HC2H3O2) and hydroxide ions (OH−), which increase the pH and make the solution basic. This scenario can be summarized with the chemical equation:

CH3CO2− (aq) + H2O(l) → HC2H3O2(aq) + OH− (aq)