Name Class Date

GRADE 12 CHEMISTRY WORKSHEET 2

19.2 Hydrogen Ions and Acidity

Water-based solutions may be acidic, basic, or neutral depending on the concentration of hydrogen
ions present.
Lesson Summary
Hydrogen Ions From Water Water self-ionizes into equal numbers of H+ and
OH− ions.
⮚ In aqueous solutions, [H+] × [OH−] = 1.0 × 10−14M = Kw, the ion product constant
for water.
⮚ If the concentration of hydrogen ions is greater than the concentration of hydroxide
ions, the solution is acidic.
⮚ An alkaline solution is basic and has a higher concentration of hydroxide ions.

The pH Concept The concentration of hydrogen ions is commonly expressed on the

pH scale, which runs from 0 to 14.
The mathematical expression of pH is pH = −log[H+].
A pH of less than 7 is acidic, equal to 7 is neutral, and greater than 7 is basic.

Measuring pH The pH of a solution can be measured with either a chemical acid-base

indicator or with an electronic pH meter.
An acid-base indicator will change color over a small range of pH.
There are different indicators that change color over various pH ranges.
An electronic pH meter gives a more accurate measurement of pH.

Turn to the next page to learn more about calculating logarithms.

When calculating logarithms, here are a few rules to remember:
If you are given b and y to find x, just take b and raise it to y. That will equal x.
If you are given b and x to determine y, think of how many times b must be multiplied by
itself to get x.
If no base is given, then the default base number is equal to 10.
log (cd) = log (c) + log (d)
log (c/d) = log (c) − log (d)
If you are given logb (xc), the exponent applied to x is moved to be a coefficient. For
example: log10 (23) = 3 · log10 (2)
The log of 10 = 1; the log of 1 = 0; you cannot take the log of a negative number.
Sample Problem Determine x given the following equation: log5 (x) = 3.

Sample Problem Determine y for the following equation: log (102) = y.

Now it’s your turn to practice calculating logarithms. Remember that it is not possible to take
the log of a negative number.
1. Rewrite the following equation in log form: 22 = 4.
log2 (4) =2
2. Determine x given log3 (x) = 4.
x =81
3. Determine y for the following equation: log (9/8) = y.
y =1.125
4. Determine y for the following equation: log4 (162) = y.
y=4
Hydrogen Ions From Water
5. What does a water molecule that loses a hydrogen ion become?
It becomes a negatively charged hydroxide ion (OH∙)
6. What does a water molecule that gains a hydrogen ion become?
It becomes a positively charged hydronium ion (H3O+∙).
7. The reaction in which water molecules produce ions is called the self-ionization of water.
8. In water or aqueous solution, hydrogen ions (H+∙) are always joined to water molecules as
hydronium ions (H3O+).
 9. Is the following sentence true or false? Any aqueous solution in which [H +] and [OH−]
are equal is described as a neutral solution. True
10. What is the ion-product constant for water (Kw)? Give the definition, the expression, and
the value.
The ion-product constant for water is the product of the concentrations of the
hydrogen ions and hydroxide ions in water.
Kw = [H+] × [OH-] = 1.0 × 10-ⁱ⁴
11. A(n) acidic solution is one in which [H+] is greater than [OH−].
A(n) basic solution is one in which [H+] is less than [OH−].
12. Match the type of solution with its hydrogen-ion concentration.
b acidic a. less than 1.0 × 10−7M
c neutral b. greater than 1.0 × 10−7M
a basic c. 1.0 × 10−7M
The pH Concept
13. The PH of a solution is the negative logarithm of the hydrogen-ion concentration.
14. Match the type of solution with its pH.
c acidic a. pH > 7.0
b neutral b. pH = 7.0
a basic c. pH < 7.0
15. Look at Table 19.5. What is the approximate [H +], the [OH−], and the pH of household
ammonia?

16. The pOH of a solution is the negative logarithm of the hydroxide ion concentration.
17. What is the pOH of a neutral solution? 7
18. For pH calculations, in what form should you express the hydrogen-ion concentration?
scientific notation
19. Look at the pH scale below. Label where you would find acids, bases, and neutral solutions.

Acids; neutral; base

20. Is the following sentence true or false? Most pH values are whole numbers. false
21. If [H+] is written in scientific notation but its coefficient is not 1, what do you need to
calculate pH?
You need either a table of common logarithms or a calculator with a log function key.
22. Is the following sentence true or false? You can calculate the hydrogen-ion concentration
of a solution if you know the pH. true
Measuring pH
23. When do you use indicators and when do you use a pH meter to measure pH?
You use indicators for preliminary measurements and for small-volume samples. You
use a pH meter for precise and continuous measurements.
24. Why is an indicator a valuable tool for measuring pH?
It is a valuable tool for measuring pH because its acid form and base form have
different colors in solution.
25. Why do you need many different indicators to span the entire pH spectrum?
For each indicator, the change from dominating acid form to dominating base form
occurs in a narrow range of approximately two pH units.
26. Look at the figure below. Fill in the missing pH color change ranges for the indicators.
 27. List three characteristics that limit the usefulness of indicators.
a. At temperatures other than 25°C, an indicator may change color at a different pH.
b. Indicator color can be distorted if a solution is not colorless.
c. Dissolved salts in a solution can affect the dissociation of the indicator.
28. What is the pH of each of the following liquids?
a. water 7
b. lemon juice 2.5
c. milk of magnesia 10.5
29. Is the following sentence true or false? Measurements of pH obtained with a pH meter
are typically accurate to within 0.001 pH unit of the true pH. false
Part A Completion
Use this completion exercise to check your understanding of the concepts and terms that are introduced in this
section. Each blank can be completed with a term, short phrase, or number.

Water molecules can _______ to form hydrogen 1. self-ionize

ions (H+) and hydroxide ions (OH–). The
2.
concentrations of these ions in pure water at 25°C are
3. 0 to 14.
both equal to _______ mol/L.
4. hydrogen ion
The pH scale, which has a range from _______,
5. acidic
is used to denote the _______ concentration of a
6. basic
solution. On this scale, 0 is strongly _______, 14 is
7. neutral
strongly _______, and 7 is _______. Pure water at
8. 7
25°C has a pH of _______.
9. ion-product
The _______ constant for water has a value of
10. hydronium/hydroxide
1.0 × 10–14. Thus, the product of the concentrations of
11. hydroxide/hydronium
_______ ions and _______ ions in aqueous solution
will always equal 1.0 × 10–14.

Part B True-False
Classify each of these statements as always true, AT; sometimes true, ST; or never true, NT.

AT 12. In an acidic solution, [H+] is greater than [OH–].

ST 13. pH indicators can give accurate pH readings for solutions.

AT 14. If the [H+] in a solution increases, the [OH–] must decrease.

NT 15. The [OH–] is less than 10–7M in a basic solution.
NT 16. The definition of pH is the negative logarithm of the hydroxide-ion concentration.
Part C Matching
Match each description in Column B to the correct term in Column A.

Column A Column B
c 17. alkaline solutions a. aqueous solution in which [H+] and [OH–] are equal

f 18. pH b. product of hydrogen ion and hydroxide ion

concentrations for water
e 19. self-ionization
c. base solutions
a 20. neutral solution
d. solution in which [H+] is less than [OH–]
b 21. ion-product constant for water (Kw)
e. reaction in which two water molecules produce ions
g 22. acidic solution
f. the negative logarithm of the hydrogen-ion concentration
d 23. basic solution
g. solution in which [H+] is greater than [OH–]

Part D Problems
Answer the following in the space provided.
24. Calculate the hydroxide-ion concentration, [OH–], for an aqueous solution in which [H+] is 1 × 10–10 mol/L. Is
this solution acidic, basic, or neutral?

25. Determine the hydrogen-ion concentrations for aqueous solutions that have the following pH values.

a. 3 b. 6 c. 10