Welcome Guest Search | Active Topics |

Tag as favorite
ICE 140 temperature and [H3O+]
Gilbert_5394
#1 Posted : Sunday, June 07, 2020 4:10:34 PM
Rank: Newbie

Groups: Registered
Joined: 6/7/2020
Posts: 5

Thanks: 0 times
Was thanked: 0 time(s) in 0 post(s)
For Q140, It says that as temp increases, Kw increases so [H3O+] also increases.

But isn't Kw= [OH-][H3O+]? How do we know that the concentration of H3O+ is changing and not OH-?
INSTR_Katerina_102
#2 Posted : Sunday, June 07, 2020 4:59:08 PM
Rank: Advanced Member

Groups: Registered
Joined: 6/24/2019
Posts: 250

Thanks: 0 times
Was thanked: 0 time(s) in 0 post(s)
Hi,

This question can be quite confusing, but keep in mind that pH is defined as the -log[H+], or the negative log of the concentration of H+ ions. If Kw = k[H+][OH-], and Kw increases, then both the concentration of OH- and H+ increase. However, as the definition of pH only depends on the concentration of H+, you only consider the H+ increase. In reality, you are correct and the OH- concentration also rises, but this is not relevant to the definition of pH, and the question only asks you for what happens to the pH.


In fact, the sum of the two in the equation pKw = pH + pH just changes such that pKw is not equal to 14, but a greater number. It is interesting to see how acidity and basicity depend on temperature!
Users browsing this topic
Guest
Tag as favorite
You cannot post new topics in this forum.
You cannot reply to topics in this forum.
You cannot delete your posts in this forum.
You cannot edit your posts in this forum.
You cannot create polls in this forum.
You cannot vote in polls in this forum.

Clean Slate theme by Jaben Cargman (Tiny Gecko)
Powered by YAF | YAF © 2003-2009, Yet Another Forum.NET
This page was generated in 0.082 seconds.