alleryStart learning →Compared with pure water, an acid solution has a hydroxide ion concentration that is:
AProportionally lower
BProportionally higher
CExactly the same
DReduced to zero
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: A. Proportionally lower
1. The product of the hydronium and hydroxide concentrations is fixed at a given temperature.
2. Compared with pure water, a solution of acid exhibits a higher concentration of hydronium ions due to ionisation of the acid.
3. It therefore has a proportionally lower concentration of hydroxide ions.
4. The hydroxide concentration falls but never reaches zero.
_Source: OpenStax Chemistry 2e (CC BY 4.0), Ch 14 'Acid-Base Equilibria', sections 14.1-14.7_
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