Question

The pH of an aqueous solution of sulfurous acid, H2SO3, that has a concentration of 0.60 mol/l and dissociation constants of Ka1 = 1.5 x 10^-2 and Ka^2 = 6.3 x 10^-8.

Answer 1

The pH of an aqueous solution of sulfurous acid can be calculated using the dissociation constants. By solving an ICE table to find the equilibrium concentrations of the acid and its ions, you can calculate the [H+] and then determine the pH.

Step-by-step explanation:

The pH of an aqueous solution of sulfurous acid, H2SO3, can be determined using the dissociation constants, Ka1 and Ka2. Since H2SO3 is a diprotic acid, it ionizes in two steps:

H2SO3 (aq) → H+ (aq) + HSO3- (aq)

HSO3- (aq) → H+ (aq) + SO32- (aq)

To find the pH, we need to calculate the concentration of H+ ions in the solution. Using the ICE table method, we can calculate the equilibrium concentrations of the acid and its ions at each step of ionization. By solving for [H+], we can then calculate the pH using the equation pH = -log[H+].