Question

For the following concentrations determine if the solutions are acidic , basic or neutral and select the best answer from the subsequent choices.

a. [H₃O⁺] = 0.15 M

b. [OH⁻] = 0.0045 M

c. [OH⁻] = 1.25 * 10⁻¹⁰ M

a) All Acidic
b) All Basic
c) a= Acidic , b = Basic , c = Basic
d) a= Acidic , b = Basic , c = Acidic
e) a= Basic , b = Acidic , c = Acidic

Answer 1

To determine if an aqueous salt solution is acidic, basic, or neutral, consider the ion properties from salt dissociation. FeCl3 forms an acidic solution, K2CO3 produces a basic one, NH4Br leads to an acidic solution, and KCIO4 results in a neutral solution.

Step-by-step explanation:

Determining the Nature of Salt Solutions

To determine if a solution of a salt in water is acidic, basic, or neutral, one must consider the properties of the ions that result from the dissociation of the salt in water. A solution is acidic if its hydronium ion concentration ([H3O+]) is greater than 1 × 10^-7 M, basic if the concentration is less than this value, and neutral if it is equal to 1 × 10^-7 M.

• FeCl3 (Iron(III) chloride) would form an acidic solution due to the hydrolysis of Fe3+ ions, which are metal cations with a high charge density capable of polarizing water molecules and releasing H3O+ ions.
• K2CO3 (Potassium carbonate) will form a basic solution as CO32- (carbonate) anions hydrolyze to form OH- (hydroxide) ions, increasing the solution's pH above 7.
• NH4Br (Ammonium bromide) will result in an acidic solution since NH4+ (ammonium) acts as a weak acid, donating protons to water and increasing the concentration of hydronium ions.
• KCIO4 (Potassium perchlorate) is likely to form a neutral solution because the perchlorate ion (CIO4-) and the potassium ion (K+) are not known to hydrolyze significantly in water.