Final answer:
To find the pH of a 0.0175 M solution of acetic acid, use the dissociation equation and the Ka value to set up an ICE table. Calculate the H+ concentration and take the negative logarithm to find the pH.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the pH of a 0.0175 M solution of acetic acid, we can use the equation for the dissociation of acetic acid: CH₂COOH(aq) + H₂O(1) ⇒ CH₂COO¯(aq) + H₂O+ (aq). The Ka value for acetic acid is 1.8×10^-5. We use the Ka value to set up an ICE table and calculate the concentration of hydrogen ions (H+) in the solution. Then, we take the negative logarithm of the H+ concentration to find the pH.
Using the ICE table, we can determine that the H+ concentration is 2.485 × 10^-3 M. Taking the negative logarithm of this concentration gives us the pH of the solution: pH = -log(2.485 × 10^-3) ≈ 2.604.