Answer:
the pH of a 2.5 x 10^-6 M HNO3 solution is 5.60, which indicates that the solution is acidic.
Step-by-step explanation:
The pH of a solution is a measure of its acidity or basicity. It is determined by the concentration of hydrogen ions (H+) in the solution. The more hydrogen ions present, the lower the pH and the more acidic the solution.
To determine the pH of a 2.5 x 10^-6 M HNO3 solution, we can use the formula for calculating pH:
pH = -log[H+]
First, we need to determine the concentration of hydrogen ions in the solution. In the case of a strong acid like HNO3, it completely dissociates in water to form H+ ions and NO3- ions. Therefore, the concentration of H+ ions in the solution is equal to the concentration of the HNO3 solution itself, which is 2.5 x 10^-6 M.
Next, we can substitute the H+ concentration into the pH formula:
pH = -log(2.5 x 10^-6)
Using a calculator, we can evaluate this expression and get:
pH = 5.60