Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
pH and pOH
pH is a measure of the acidity or basicity of a solution, defined as the negative logarithm of the hydronium ion concentration, [H₃O⁺]. pOH, on the other hand, measures the concentration of hydroxide ions, [OH⁻]. In a basic solution like KOH, pH and pOH are related through the equation pH + pOH = 14, which is essential for determining the [H₃O⁺] concentration.
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Ionization of Water
Water undergoes autoionization, producing equal concentrations of H₃O⁺ and OH⁻ ions at equilibrium. The ion product constant for water (Kw) at 25°C is 1.0 x 10⁻¹⁴, which means that the product of [H₃O⁺] and [OH⁻] is always constant. This relationship is crucial for calculating the hydronium ion concentration in a KOH solution.
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Concentration of KOH
KOH is a strong base that completely dissociates in solution to produce K⁺ and OH⁻ ions. A 0.050 M KOH solution means that the concentration of OH⁻ ions is also 0.050 M. This concentration is used to find the [H₃O⁺] by applying the ion product constant of water, allowing for the determination of the solution's acidity.
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Percent Concentrations Concept 1