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What is a solution that has more positive hydrogen ions than negative hydroxide ions?

Answer 1

Mateo Aguilar

#"Acidic"#

In neutral water at #298*K#, the following equilibrium operates:

#2H_2O(l) rightleftharpoons H_3O^+ + HO^-#

Careful measurement has established that at #298*K#, the ion product, #[H_3O^+][""^(-)OH]=10^(-14)#.

If the solution is neutral then, #[H_3O^+]=[""^(-)OH]=10^(-7)mol*L^-1#.

If #[H_3O^+]<[""^(-)OH]#, then the solution is alkaline, and if #[H_3O^+]>[""^(-)OH]#, then the solution is acidic.

We can go a step farther than this, and define #pH# and #pOH#. If we take #-log_10# of both sides of the equation,#[H_3O^+][""^(-)OH]=10^(-14)#, we get #-log_10[H_3O^+]-log_10[""^(-)OH]=-14#.

If we define #pH=-log_10[H_3O^+]# and #pOH=-log_10[""^(-)OH]#, then,

#pH + pOH =14.#

From above, at neutrality, #pH = pOH =7#; i.e. #[H_3O^+]# and #[HO^-]# are EQUAL.

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Answer 2

Avery Adams

A solution with more positive hydrogen ions (H⁺) than negative hydroxide ions (OH⁻) is acidic.

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Answer from HIX Tutor

When evaluating a one-sided limit, you need to be careful when a quantity is approaching zero since its sign is different depending on which way it is approaching zero from. Let us look at some examples.