Final answer:
The hydrogen ion concentration in a solution with a pH of 5.4 is calculated as the inverse logarithm (10 to the power of negative pH), which results in a concentration of 3.98 x 10^-6 M.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student is asking about how to calculate the hydrogen ion concentration in a solution when given the pH value. The pH is defined as the negative log base 10 of the hydronium ion concentration (represented by [H3O+] or [H+]), therefore we can calculate the concentration by taking the inverse of the logarithm of the pH. In this case, a pH of 5.4 would mean the hydrogen ion concentration is:
[H+] = 10-pH = 10-5.4
This calculation gives us a hydrogen ion concentration of 3.98 x 10-6 M.
Example Calculation
Let's take another scenario: if the pH of a solution is 4.57, the hydrogen ion concentration is calculated as follows:
[H+] = 10-4.57 = 2.69 x 10-5 M.
This process helps us understand the relationship between pH and hydronium ion concentration which is crucial in topics of acidity and alkalinity of solutions in chemistry.