Understanding the Concepts

* HCl is a strong acid: This means it completely ionizes in water, releasing all of its hydrogen ions (H+).

* pH: A measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution. It's calculated as the negative logarithm (base 10) of the hydrogen ion concentration:

pH = -log[H+]

Calculation

1. Determine the [H+] concentration: Since HCl is a strong acid, the concentration of H+ ions will be equal to the initial concentration of HCl:

[H+] = 0.10 M

2. Calculate the pH:

pH = -log(0.10)

pH = 1

Answer: The pH of a 0.10 M HCl solution is 1.