Final answer:
The addition of a strong acid to DI water results in a decrease in pH due to the increased concentration of H+ ions. This is crucial in titration processes as the pH changes indicate the approach to the equivalence point, where neutralization occurs.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a strong acid is added to di water, the pH decreases, indicating a higher concentration of H+ ions. This is significant in relation to titration, especially when considering the titration of a strong acid with a strong base.
Initially, the addition of a strong acid to DI water will result in an increase in the hydronium ion concentration as the acid dissociates, and thus the pH will drop, reflecting the increased acidity.
For example, when 0.20 M HCl is added to 50.0 mL of distilled water, the pH rapidly decreases. During a titration, the pH incrementally changes with each addition of titrant, until the equivalence point is reached, where the number of moles of acid equals the number of moles of base.
At this point, if we continue to add the base, the pH of the solution will begin to increase rapidly, suggesting that most of the H+ ions have been neutralized.
correct option a) pH increases, indicating a higher concentration of OH- ions