Question

Because rain washes pollutants out of the air, many Ontario lakes are undergoing changes in pH. The water in one such lake was found to have a hydronium ion concentration of 3.2 x 10-5 M. What is the pH of this lake? Is it considered acidic or basic?

Answer 1

Because rain washes pollutants out of the air, many Ontario lakes are undergoing changes in pH. The water in one such lake was found to have a hydronium ion concentration of 3.2 x 10-5 M. What is the pH of this lake? Is it considered acidic or basic?

Solution.

pH = -lg[H₃O⁺] = 4.49 ≈ 4.5

Answer. pH = 4.5, acidic