CHEMISTRY 103B, Sections 3-4 and 7-8

Problem Set 4: 16 Points

Answer Key
Problem 1. (three points) This deals with a water solution in which the initial concentration of the weak
acid HA(aq) is 0.50 mol/L. The initial concentrations of H3O+(aq) and A-(aq) are both zero. For this acid
Ka = 7.0 x 10-6.
HA(aq)

H+(aq)

A-(aq)

Initial

0.50

Change

-x

+x

+x

Equilibrium

[0.50 x]

[x]

[x]

x2
x2

K a 7.0 106
(0.50 x ) 0.50
x 0.50 7.0 106 0.0019
(a) What is the equilibrium concentration of the weak acid?
[HA} = 0.50 x = 0.50 0.0019 = 0.50 mol/L (two sig figs)
(b) What is the equilibrium concentration of hydronium ion?
[H+] = x = 0.0019 mol/L
(c) What is the equilibrium concentration of the conjugate base of the acid?
[A-] = x = 0.0019 mol/L

Problem 2. (three points) This problem deals with a water solution of a weak base. The initial
concentration of the base is 0.010 mol/L. The initial concentrations of hydroxide ion and the conjugate
acid of the base are both zero. For this base Kb = 6.0 x 10-2.
B(aq)

H2O

BH+(aq)

OH-(aq)

Initial

0.010

Change

-x

+x

+x

Equilibrium

[0.010 x]

[x]

[x]

[ BH ][OH ]
[ x][ x ]

6.0 102 0.060

[ B]
[0.010 x]
x 2 0.00060 0.060 x
x 2 0.060 x 0.00060 0
b b 2 4ac 0.060 0.0602 0.0024 0.060 0.077

2a
2
2
x positive 0.0087
x

(a) What is the equilibrium concentration of the weak base?

[B] = 0.010 0.0087 = 0.0013 mol/L
(b) What is the equilibrium concentration of the conjugate acid of the base?
[BH+] = 0.0087 mol/L
(c) What is the equilibrium concentration of hydroxide ion?
[OH-] = 0.0087 mol/L
Problem 3. (three points) This problem deals with a water solution of a strong acid HX(aq). The initial
concentration of HX is 0.50 mol/L and the initial concentrations of H3O+(aq) and X-(aq) are both zero.
The term strong acid means that proton transfer to water is 100%.
(a) What is the equilibrium concentration of HX(aq)?
[HX] = 0 mol/L
(b) What is the equilibrium concentration of X-(aq)?
[X-] = 0.50 mol/L
(c) What is the equilibrium concentration of H3O+(aq)?
[H3O+] = 0.50 mol/L

Problem 4. (three points)

(a) What is the pH of the solution in problem 1?
pH = -log(0.0019) = 2.72
(b) What is the pH of the solution in problem 2?
pOH = -log(0.0087) = 2.06
pH = 14.00 pOH = 14.00 2.06 = 11.94
(c) What is the pH of the solution in problem 3?
pH = -log(0.50) = 0.30
Problem 5. (two points) A solution of an acid H
(a) The pH of this solution is 4.88. What is Ka for this acid?
The given pH means the hydronium ion concentration is [H3O+] = 10-4.88 = 1.3 x 10-5 mol/L. This must
also be the concentration of the conjugate base, A-. The concentration of the weak acid is 0.010
0.000013 = 0.010 (2 sig figs.) The value of Ka is found by substitution of the equilibrium concentrations
into the equilibrium constant expression:
(b) If HA were a strong acid, what would be the pH of this solution?
The label concentration of the strong acid is 0.010 mol/L. Proton transfer to water is 100%, so the
concentration of hydronium ion is 0.010 mol/L. The pH is log(0.010) = 2.00.
Problem 6. (two points) A solution of a base B in pure water has a label concentration of 0.010 mol/L.
(a) The pH of this solution is 9.75. What is Kb for this base?
The value of pOH is 14.00 9.75 = 4.25. The hydroxide concentration is [OH -] = 10-4.25 = 5.6 x 10-5
mol/L. This is also the concentration of the conjugate acid, BH+. The concentration of the base B is 0.010
0.000056 = 0.010 (2 sig figs). Kb is found by substitution:
(b) If B were a strong base, what would be the pH of this solution?
For a strong base with label concentration 0.010 mol/L, protpn transfer from water is 100%. The
concentration of hydroxide ion will be 0.010 mol/L. pOH = -log(0.010) = 2.00.
pH = 14.00 pOH = 14.00 2.00 = 12.00