Understanding the Concepts
* HCl (Hydrochloric acid): A strong acid, meaning it completely ionizes in water.
* pH: A measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution. The lower the pH, the more acidic the solution.
* pH Calculation: The pH of a solution is calculated using the following formula:
pH = -log[H+], where [H+] is the concentration of hydrogen ions.
Calculation
1. Complete Ionization: Since HCl is a strong acid, it completely ionizes in water:
HCl(aq) → H+(aq) + Cl-(aq)
This means that a 0.02 M HCl solution will produce a 0.02 M concentration of H+ ions.
2. pH Calculation:
pH = -log[H+]
pH = -log(0.02)
pH ≈ 1.70
Therefore, the pH of a 0.02 M HCl solution is approximately 1.70.
