The pH of a 0.080 mol L⁻¹ solution of acetic acid is 2.9 - HSC - SSCE Chemistry - Question 20 - 2018 - Paper 1

Question 20

The pH of a 0.080 mol L⁻¹ solution of acetic acid is 2.9.
What percentage of the acetic acid has dissociated into ions?
Worked Solution & Example Answer:The pH of a 0.080 mol L⁻¹ solution of acetic acid is 2.9 - HSC - SSCE Chemistry - Question 20 - 2018 - Paper 1
Calculate the concentration of hydrogen ions (H⁺) using pH

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To find the concentration of hydrogen ions, use the formula:
[H+]=10−pH
Substituting the given pH value:
[H+]=10−2.9≈0.00126molL−1
Determine the initial concentration of acetic acid

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The initial concentration of acetic acid, C, is 0.080 mol L⁻¹.
Use the dissociation formula to find the degree of dissociation

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The degree of dissociation is given by:
α=C[H+]
Substituting the values:
α=0.0800.00126≈0.01575
Convert to percentage of dissociation

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To find the percentage, multiply by 100:
Percentage=α×100≈1.575%
Thus, rounding to one decimal place gives approximately 1.6%.
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