Questions: What is the pH of a 0.0440 M HNO3 solution?

Transcript text: What is the pH of a $0.0440 \mathrm{M} \mathrm{HNO}_{3}$ solution?

Solution

Solution Steps

Step 1: Understanding the Nature of the Solution

Nitric acid ($\mathrm{HNO}_3$) is a strong acid, which means it completely dissociates in water. Therefore, the concentration of hydrogen ions $[\mathrm{H}^+]$ in the solution is equal to the concentration of the nitric acid.

Step 2: Calculating the Hydrogen Ion Concentration

Since $\mathrm{HNO}_3$ is a strong acid and dissociates completely, the concentration of $[\mathrm{H}^+]$ is the same as the concentration of the $\mathrm{HNO}_3$ solution, which is $0.0440 \, \mathrm{M}$.

Step 3: Calculating the pH

The pH of a solution is calculated using the formula: \[ \text{pH} = -\log_{10} [\mathrm{H}^+] \] Substituting the concentration of hydrogen ions: \[ \text{pH} = -\log_{10} (0.0440) \]

Step 4: Computing the pH Value

Using a calculator, compute the logarithm: \[ \text{pH} = -\log_{10} (0.0440) \approx 1.3565 \]