Chapter 15, Problem 15Q

An acid is titrated with NaOH. The following beakers are illustrations of the contents of the beaker at various times during the titration. These are presented out of order. Note: Counter-ions and water molecules have been omitted from the illustrations for clarity.

(a)

(b)

(c)

(d)

(e)

a. Is the acid a weak or strong acid? How can you tell?

b. Arrange the beakers in order of what the contents would look like as the titration progresses.

c. For which beaker would pH = pK_a? Explain your answer.

d. Which beaker represents the equivalence point of the titration? Explain your answer.

e. For which beaker would the K_a value for the acid not be necessary to determine the pH? Explain your answer.