Associate Safety Professional Practice Exam

If a solution contains 10^-2 hydrogen ions per liter, how would this solution be classified?

1. Neutral

2. Weak acid

3. Strong acid

4. Base

The correct answer is: Strong acid

A solution containing 10^-2 hydrogen ions per liter indicates a concentration of hydrogen ions, which is a measure of a solution's acidity or alkalinity. The pH scale, which ranges from 0 to 14, helps classify solutions based on their hydrogen ion concentration. In this case, the concentration of hydrogen ions is 0.01 mol/L, which corresponds to a pH of 2 (calculated using the formula pH = -log[H+]). A pH of 2 is significantly lower than 7, indicating that the solution is acidic. Furthermore, a strong acid is characterized by its ability to dissociate completely in water, leading to a high concentration of hydrogen ions. Examples of strong acids include hydrochloric acid and sulfuric acid, which both fully dissociate in solution. The concentration of hydrogen ions in this scenario suggests that the solution is classified as a strong acid due to its relatively high concentration compared to weak acids, which typically have lower concentrations of hydrogen ions and do not fully dissociate. The classification into categories such as neutral, weak acid, strong acid, or base relies on the understanding of pH levels and hydrogen ion concentrations. A neutral solution has a pH of 7, while weak