Step-by-step explanation:
Sulfuric acid is a strong acid and when it is dissolved in water, it ionizes completely to form hydrogen ions (H+) and sulfate ions (SO4^2-).
The balanced chemical equation for the reaction of sulfuric acid in water is:
H2SO4 + H2O → H3O+ + SO4^2-
In this case, the initial concentration of sulfuric acid is 0.0045 M.
To find the pH, we need to first calculate the concentration of hydrogen ions (H+) in the solution. Since sulfuric acid ionizes completely, the concentration of H+ ions is equal to the initial concentration of H2SO4.
[H+] = 0.0045 M
pH = -log[H+] = -log(0.0045) = 2.35
Therefore, the pH of the 0.0045 M solution of sulfuric acid is 2.35.
Since the pH is less than 7, the solution is acidic.