Acid-Base Foundations

1. Which of the following descriptions best describes the role of water in the reaction
below?

HCl(aq) + H2O(l) → H3O+(aq) + Cl−(aq)

(A) Brønsted-Lowry acid

(B) Brønsted-Lowry base
(C) Conjugate acid
(D) Conjugate base

2. Which of the following statements best describe the reaction shown below?

CH3COOH(aq) + H2O(l)) ⇄ CH3COO−(aq) + H3O+(aq)

(A) Water is an acid because it is donating a H+

(B) H3O+(aq) is the conjugate base of H2O(l)
(C) CH3COOH(aq) is a polyprotic acid as it has multiple H+ to donate
(D) Water is a base because it is accepting a H+

3. Considering the three reactions below, which of the following choices correctly
matches the acid and its conjugate base for the forward reaction.

NH3 + H2O ⇄ NH4+ + OH−

HBr + H2O ⇄ H3O+ + Br−
CN− + H2O ⇄ HCN + OH−

Acid Conjugate Base

(A) NH4+ NH3
(B) HBr H3O+
(C) CN− OH−
(D) H2O OH−

4. Which of the following choices contains only species that are monoprotic acids?

(A) CH3COOH and C2H5COOH

(B) H3PO4 and H2PO4−
(C) H2SO4 and HBr
(D) HCl and H2SO4

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 5. Which statement is true in relation to the equilibrium shown below?

H2O + HCN ⇄ H3O+ + CN–

(A) CN− is the conjugate acid of H2O

(B) H3O+ is the conjugate base of H2O
(C) HCN is the conjugate acid of CN−
(D) CN− is the conjugate base of HCN.

6. In which of the following choices is the reaction and description most correct?

(A) HI + H2O → H3O+ + I− H2O is acting as a Brønsted-Lowry acid

(B) HCN + H2O ⇄ H3O+ + CN− H3O+ is the conjugate acid of HCN
(C) OH− + HCl → H2O + Cl− Cl− is the conjugate base of OH−
(D) NH3 + H2O ⇄ NH4+ + OH− H2O is acting as a Brønsted-Lowry acid

7. The pH of a solution that contains [H3O+] = 1.00 M

(A) 0
(B) 1
(C) 7
(D) 13

8. The pH of a solution that has a [OH−] = 1 × 10-13 M

(A) 0
(B) 1
(C) 7
(D) 13

9. Which of the following statements regarding the pH scale is true?

(A) For an acidic solution, the pOH will be less than 7

(B) For a solution with a pH of 2, the [H3O+] = 2 M
(C) For a basic solution, the pOH will be less than 7
(D) For a solution with a pOH of 10, the [H3O+] = 1 × 10−10 M

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10. Lemon juice has a pH of 2.5, what is the approximate [OH−] of the juice?

(A) 3 × 10−12 M
(B) 3 × 10−3 M
(C) 2.5 M
(D) 11.5 M

11. What is the [H3O+] of a solution with a pOH = 6?

(A) 1 × 10−8 M
(B) 1 × 10−6 M
(C) 3M
(D) 11 M

12. If 80.0 mL of 0.1 M HCl is added to 20.0 mL of 0.1 M NaOH, what is the [H3O+] of
the final solution?

(A) 0.02 M
(B) 0.04 M
(C) 0.06 M
(D) 0.08 M

13. A solution with a volume of 1.00 L has a pH of 3. What volume of water must be
added to the solution in order to increase the pH to 4?

(A) 0.1 L
(B) 1.0 L
(C) 9.0 L
(D) 10.0 L

14. Which of the following statements is correct?

(A) Relatively high pH’s are associated with acidic solutions

(B) As the pH of a solution decreases at constant temperature the [OH−] decreases
(C) A solution with a [OH−] = 1 × 10-6 M at 298 K has a pH of 6
(D) To change the pH of a solution from 2 to 4 more H3O+(aq) must be added

© 2018 Applied Practice, Dallas, TX. All rights reserved. 21

 15. Water can undergo self-ionization as shown below. Which of the following represents
the correct expression for Kw?

H2O(l) + H2O(l) ⇄ H3O+(aq) + OH−(aq)

[H 3O + ][OH - ]
(A)
[H 2 O][H 2 O]

(B) [H3O+] [OH-]

[H 3O + ][OH - ]
(C)
[H 2 O]2

[H 3O + ]2
(D)
[H 2 O][H 2 O]

16. The Kw for the ionization of water is provided for two different temperatures. Which
statement is consistent with this information?

H2O(l) + H2O(l) ⇄ H3O+(aq) + OH−(aq) Kw = 1.00 × 10−14 @ 298 K

H2O(l) + H2O(l) ⇄ H3O+(aq) + OH−(aq) Kw = 5.48 × 10−14 @ 323 K

(A) Water becomes more basic at higher temperatures

(B) Water becomes less acidic at higher temperatures
(C) The equilibrium for the self-ionization of water is endothermic
(D) The pH of water is always 7

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 Weak Acids and Bases

17. The pH of a 0.1 M solution of a weak acid, HA that has a Ka = 1 × 10−7

(A) 3
(B) 4
(C) 6
(D) 7

18. The pH of a 0.01 M solution of a weak base that has a Kb = 1 × 10−10

(A) 6
(B) 8
(C) 10
(D) 12

19. The pKa of a weak acid with a Ka = 1 × 10−8

(A) 4
(B) 6
(C) 7
(D) 8

20. When considering weak acids and weak bases, which of the following statements is
true?

(A) The larger the Ka, the larger the pKa

(B) The larger the Kb, the weaker the base
(C) The larger the Ka, the more the acid ionizes in solution
(D) The larger the Kb, the lower the pH

© 2018 Applied Practice, Dallas, TX. All rights reserved. 23

 21. Based on the acids below and their Ka values, which of the following statements is
true?

Acid Ka Concentration
HCN 6.17 ×10−10 0.1 M
HCOOH 1.77 ×10−4 0.1 M
CH3COOH 1.80 ×10−5 0.1 M

(A) HCN is the strongest acid of the three listed.

− −
(B) For the reaction, HCN + HCOO ⇄ CN + HCOOH; K < 1
(C) CN− is the weakest conjugate base of the anions of the acids listed
(D) 0.1 M CH3COOH(aq) ionizes more than 0.1 M HCOOH(aq)

22. The Ka for an unknown acid, HA is 2.45 × 10−6 at 298 K. Which of the ranges listed
below would the Kb value for A− fall between at this temperature?

(A) Between 1 × 10−5 and 1 × 10−6

(B) Between 1 × 10−7 and 1 × 10−8
(C) Between 1 × 10−8 and 1 × 10−9
(D) Between 1 × 10−9 and 1 × 10−10

23. In the equation below which species is the strongest base?

NH4+ + HPO42− ⇄ H2PO4− + NH3 K<1

(A) H2PO4−
(B) NH3
(C) NH4+
(D) HPO42−

24. It is found that as the number of oxygen atoms increases in equimolar samples of the
species below, the strength of the acids increases. Which of the following is the best
explanation for this observation?

HBrO, HBrO2, HBrO3

(A) The bromine atom gets increasingly electronegative in each species

(B) The H−O bond strength increases from HBrO to HBrO2 to HBrO3
(C) The stability of the anion species decreases from HBrO to HBrO2 to HBrO3
(D) The presence of additional, electronegative oxygen atoms causes a weakening of
the H−O bond

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25. Phosphoric acid, H3PO4, has values for its successive ionization that can be labeled
Ka1, Ka2, and Ka3.

H3PO4 ⇄ H+ + H2PO4− Ka1

H2PO4− ⇄ H+ + HPO42− Ka2
HPO42− ⇄ H+ + PO43− Ka3

Which expression shows the correct calculation of the equilibrium constant for the
process shown below?
H3PO4 ⇄ 2H+ + HPO42−

(A) (Ka1) (Ka2) (Ka3)

(B) (Ka1) + (Ka2) + (Ka3)
(C) (Ka1) (Ka2)
(D) (Ka1) + (Ka2)

26. Calculate the [OH−] of a solution for a weak base with a concentration of 0.01 M. The
weak base has a Kb = 1 x 10−10.

(A) 1 × 10-12 M
(B) 1 × 10-8 M
(C) 1 × 10-6 M
(D) 6M

27. Which of the following expressions shows the correct set up for calculating the acid
dissociation constant, Ka, for ethanoic acid, CH3COOH?

[H3 O+ ][CH3 COO− ]

(A) 𝐾𝑎 = [CH3 COOH]2

[H3 O+ ][CH3 COO− ]

(B) 𝐾𝑎 = [CH3 COOH]

[H3 O+ ]
(C) 𝐾𝑎 = [CH 2
3 COOH]

[CH3 COOH]
(D) 𝐾𝑎 = [H + ][CH −]
3O 3 COO

© 2018 Applied Practice, Dallas, TX. All rights reserved. 25

 Questions 28 and 29 refer to the following substances that are listed in order of
increasing acid strength.

H2O < HCN < C2H5COOH < HCOOH< HCl

28. Which of the following equations would have the greatest K value?

(A) CN− + H2O ⇄ HCN + OH−

(B) C2H5COOH + Cl− ⇄ HCl + C2H5COO−
(C) HCOOH + CN− ⇄ HCN + HCOO−
(D) HCN + C2H5COO− ⇄ C2H5COOH + CN−

29. Which of the following is the strongest base?

(A) HCOO−
(B) CN−
(C) C2H5COO−
(D) Cl−

30. Sulfuric acid, H2SO4, is a diprotic acid with the following Ka values:

H2SO4 → H+ + HSO4− Ka1 = very large

HSO4− ⇄ H+ + SO42− Ka2 = 1.2 × 10−2

Based on this information which of the following is correct?

(A) the amount of associated H2SO4 in solution is significant

(B) the amount of H+ in solution is negligible
(C) the species with the largest concentration in solution will be SO42−
(D) HSO4− is a weaker acid than H2SO4

31. A 0.01 M solution of which of the following solutions would have the highest pH?

(A) HClO
(B) HClO2
(C) HClO3
(D) HClO4

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32. Which of the following choices correctly pairs the pH of 0.50 M NH4Cl(aq) with the
best explanation as to why?

(A) The pH of the solution is greater than 7 because NH4+ is the conjugate of NH3
which is a weak base
(B) The pH of the solution is less than 7 because NH4+ hydrolyzes water to produce
hydronium ions, H3O+
(C) The pH of the solution is equal to 7 because NH4Cl(aq) is neither an acid or a
base so it does not effect the pH of the solution
(D) The pH of the solution is greater than 7 because NH4+ hydrolyzes water to
produce hydroxide ions, OH−

© 2018 Applied Practice, Dallas, TX. All rights reserved. 27

 MEGA – FREE RESPONSE A
REINFORCEMENT
(20 Points)

1. Answer the following questions about solutions of 0.1 M HCl(aq) and 0.1 M
NH3(aq).

Students are asked to prepare a 50.0 mL quantity of 0.1 M HCl(aq) solution. They are
provided with a 1.0 M HCl(aq) solution, 10.0 mL graduated pipets, a supply of
distilled water, a 50 mL beaker, and a 50.0 mL volumetric flask.

(a) Calculate the volume, in mL, of 1.0 M HCl(aq) solution, that the student should
use to prepare the 0.1 M HCl(aq).

(b) Briefly list the steps for preparing the 50.0 mL of 0.1 M HCl(aq).

(c) For the solution prepared above

(i) Write the net ionic equation that occurs during this process.

(ii) Do you expect the solution to be acidic, basic, or neutral? Justify your
answer using the reaction written in (a) part (i) above.

(iii) Calculate the pH of the 0.1 M HCl(aq) solution.

© 2018 Applied Practice, Dallas, TX. All rights reserved. 29

 (d) A 0.1 M NH3(aq) solution is prepared exactly like the 0.1 M HCl(aq) solution
above.

(i) Write the net ionic equation that occurs during this process.

(ii) Do you expect the solution to be acidic, basic, or neutral? Justify your
answer using the reaction written in (d) part (i) above.

(iii) Calculate the pH of the 0.1 M NH3(aq) solution. The Kb for NH3(aq) =
1.8 × 10-5

(e) If 30 mL of the 0.1 M NH3(aq) solution are mixed with 30 mL of the 0.1 M
HCl(aq) solution the following reaction occurs:

NH3(aq) + HCl(aq) → NH4+(aq) + Cl−(aq)

(i) Calculate the molar concentration of the NH4+(aq) formed in this reaction.

(ii) As the NH4+(aq) is formed in the reaction above, it will react with water
according to the equation below. Calculate the pH of the solution formed.

NH4+(aq) + H2O(l) ⇄ H3O+(aq) + NH3(aq)

30 © 2018 Applied Practice, Dallas, TX. All rights reserved.

(f) A student took the remaining 20 mL of the 0.1 M NH3(aq) solution and mixed it
with 20 mL of a 0.1 M HCOOH(aq) found in the lab. Once mixed the following
reaction could occur:

NH3(aq) + HCOOH(aq) ⇄ NH4+(aq) + HCOO−(aq)

For HCOOH the Ka = 1.77 ×10−4

(i) Identify the 2 species in the above reaction that act as acids.

(ii) Which of the 2 acids identified in part (i) above is the stronger acid?
Justify your answer based on the Ka values for both acids identified in part
(i) above.

(iii)Will the reaction above proceed in the forward direction (as written) or in
the reverse direction? Explain your response.

(iv) Calculate the K value for the overall reaction between NH3(aq) and
HCOOH(aq).

© 2018 Applied Practice, Dallas, TX. All rights reserved. 31

 Buffer and Titrations

33. Which of the combinations below will produce a buffer solution with a pH greater
than 7.

(A) NH3 and NH4+

(B) CH3COOH and CH3COO−
(C) HCl and NaCl
(D) NaOH and NaCl

34. In solution, this combination will produce a buffer solution with a pH less than 7.

(A) NH3 and NH4+

(B) CH3COOH and CH3COO−
(C) HCl and NaCl
(D) KCl and NaCl

35. In solution, this combination will have a pH closest to 7.

(A) NH3 and NH4+

(B) CH3COOH and CH3COO−
(C) HCl and NaCl
(D) KCl and NaCl

36. A 50 mL solution of CH3COOH(aq) is titrated with 0.1 M NaOH(aq). The titration

required the addition of 25 mL of 0.1 M NaOH(aq) to reach the endpoint. Which of
the following statements is true?

(A) The pH at the equivalence point will be approximately 7

(B) The best indicator for the titration would have a pKa close to 7
(C) At the point when 12.5 mL of 0.1 M NaOH(aq) had been added the ratio of
CH3COOH: CH3COO− in the solution is 1
(D) The [CH3COOH] > [NaOH]

37. A student is asked to prepare a buffer solution with a pH of 11.0. The student has
access to four bases and their conjugate salts. The Kb values for the bases are listed
below. Which is the most appropriate base to use?

(A) 1.1 × 10−11

(B) 1.7 × 10−11
(C) 1.2 × 10−3
(D) 2.3 × 10−1

© 2018 Applied Practice, Dallas, TX. All rights reserved. 41

 38. A 25.00 mL sample of propanoic acid is titrated with a strong base. The equivalence
point is reached upon the addition of 22.50 mL of the base. The student continued
adding base until a total of 30.00 mL had been added. At what point in the titration
will the pH of the solution have the same value as the pKa of the acid?

(A) After the addition of 11.25 mL of base

(B) After the addition of 22.50 mL of base
(C) After the addition of 25.00 mL of base
(D) After the addition of 30.00 mL of base

Questions 39 and 40 refer to a titration performed to determine the concentration of a

weak acid, HA, titrated with KOH(aq).

39. Which of the following choices gives the pH at the equivalence point and the best
explanation for why?

(A) pH = 7, all acid-base reactions are neutralization reactions, thus the solution is
neutral at the equivalence point
(B) pH < 7, since the pH of the acid and base average out to be greater than 7
(C) pH > 7, the anion of the weak acid, HA, hydrolyzes water to form OH−,
increasing the pH of the solution
(D) pH < 7; the cation of the salt hydrolyzes water to form H3O+
lowering the pH of the solution

40. Which of the following indicators is most suitable for this titration?

(A) bromophenol blue, pKa = 4.0

(B) methyl red, pKa = 5.1
(C) bromothymol blue, pKa = 7.0
(D) phenolphthalein, pKa = 9.3

41. Which of the following aqueous solutions would you expect to have the highest pH?

(A) CH3NH3Cl
(B) KBr
(C) NH4Cl
(D) K2CO3

42. Adding 15.0 mL of 0.2 M HCl(aq) to 25.0 mL of 0.2 M NH3(aq) creates a

(A) neutral solution

(B) buffer solution with a pH greater than 7
(C) buffer solution with a pH less than 7
(D) non-buffered solution with a pH less than 7

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Questions 43 – 45 refer to the titration curve below that shows the variation of pH during
the titration of a base with a strong acid.

43. Which of the following statements is true?

(A) the base must be a strong base because the initial pH of the solution is greater
than 7
(B) after the addition of 25 mL of acid the pH of the solution is equal to the pKa of
the acid present.
(C) a suitable indicator for this titration would have a pKa close to 5
(D) after the addition of 30.0 mL of acid, a buffer solution is formed because beyond
equivalence point only the predominate species are the acid and the conjugate of
the base

44. The pH of the solution at the equivalence point is less than 7 because

(A) a weak acid was used in the titration which will make the pH of the solution
acidic once the base is neutralized
(B) the weak base being titrated was completely reacted leaving only its conjugate
acid, which hydrolyzes water producing [H3O+]
(C) the indicator used to identify the end point creates an acidic environment which
lowers the pH below 7
(D) a strong acid was used at the titrant and once you reach the equivalence point the
strong acid creates an acidic environment which lowers the pH below 7

© 2018 Applied Practice, Dallas, TX. All rights reserved. 43

 45. After 10 mL of titrant (acid) was added to the initial base solution, the pH was
measured to be approximately 9.4. If a student poured 1.0 mL of pure water into the
titration flask which of the following best explains the effect on the pH of the
solution?

(A) the pH would increase because the water further diluted the solution thus the
concentration of base present has decreased
(B) the pH would decrease because the water further diluted the solution thus the
concentration of base present has decreased
(C) The pH would remain the same because the added water does not change the
number of moles of base and its conjugate acid present in the solution
(D) The pH would remain the same because the added water is neutral thus it does
not affect the pH

46. A buffer solution is made by adding 25 mL of 0.01 M ethanoic acid to 25 mL of a

0.01 M solution of sodium ethanoate. Which of the following statements is true?

(A) the addition of equal amounts of acid and salt to the buffer increases the capacity
of the buffer however this increases the pH of the buffer
(B) the addition of equal amounts of acid and salt to the buffer increases the capacity
of the buffer however this decreases the pH of the buffer
(C) the addition of base to the solution causes the amount of salt present in the buffer
to decrease but the amount of acid in the solution to increase
(D) an identical buffer can be created by partially neutralizing a solution of ethanoic
acid with sodium hydroxide solution

47. A 10 mL portion of 0.1 M sodium hydroxide is mixed thoroughly with 20 mL of 0.1

M CH3COOH (Ka = 1.8 × 10−5). Which of the following statements best describes the
solution formed?

(A) The solution will form a buffer with a pH greater than 7

(B) The solution will form a buffer with a pH less than 7
(C) The solution will have a pH less than 7, but will not from a buffer
(D) The solution will have a pH greater than 7, but will not from a buffer

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Questions 48 – 50 refer to a titration of 40 mL of 0.10 M HA, a weak acid, with a sample
of 0.10 M potassium hydroxide. The following particulate key represents the predominate
species present in the titration.

HA H

A− H

OH−

48. Which of the following representations best describes the sample after the addition of
10 mL of KOH.

H
H
H
H
H
H

H H
A) B)

H H
H
H
H
H
H
H
C) D)

© 2018 Applied Practice, Dallas, TX. All rights reserved. 45

 49. Which of the following representations best describes the sample after the addition of
20 mL of KOH.

H
H
H
H
H
H

H H
A) B)

H
H H

H H
H

H
H
C) D)

50. Which of the following representations best describes the sample after the addition of
50 mL of KOH.

H
H
H
H
H
H

H H
A) B)

H
H H

H H
H

H
H
C) D)

46 © 2018 Applied Practice, Dallas, TX. All rights reserved.

 MEGA – FREE RESPONSE B
REINFORCEMENT
(20 Points)

1. Consider the titration of 25.0 mL of a solution of 0.500 M methylamine (CH3NH2), a

weak base (Kb = 4.4 × 10−4), with a 0.500 M solution of HCl.

(a) Write the net ionic equation for the reaction that occurs when the HCl is added to
the methylamine.

(b) After the addition of 10.0 mL of HCl(aq) which of the species are present in the
solution once the reaction in part (a) occurs.

(c) Calculate the volume of HCl(aq) required to reach the equivalence point of the
titration.

(d) Calculate the pH of the solution at each of the following points in the titration:

(i) Before any HCl(aq) is added to the solution

© 2018 Applied Practice, Dallas, TX. All rights reserved. 47

 (ii) After the addition of 12.5 mL of HCl(aq)

(iii) After the addition of 25.0 mL of HCl(aq)

(iv) After the addition of 30.00 mL of HCl(aq)

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Sketch the titration curve that shows the change in pH versus the volume of HCl added
for this titration.

10.0 20.0 30.0 40.0

Volume of HCl added (mL)

(e) Which of the following indicators would be best for this titration? Explain your
choice

Color
Indicator Change pH
Range

Thymol blue 1–3

Methyl red 4–6

Phenolphthalein 8 – 10

© 2018 Applied Practice, Dallas, TX. All rights reserved. 49

 As a part of their lab assessment, two students were asked to make a methylamine buffer
with a pH of 10.64. The students were asked to prepare this buffer using different
solutions.

Both students were provided a beaker containing exactly 50 mL of 0.050 M CH3NH2(aq),

which has a Kb value of 4.4 ×10-4. The students are given a 2nd solution that can be used
to make a buffer with CH3NH2(aq), as shown in the box below.

0.10 M CH3NH3Cl 0.10 M HCl

Student 1 Student 2

(f) Determine the volume of 0.10 M CH3NH3Cl(aq) that Student 1 must add to their
beaker of methylamine to prepare a buffer with a pH of 10.64.

(g) Determine the volume of 0.10 M HCl(aq) that Student 2 must add to their beaker
of methylamine to prepare a buffer with a pH of 10.64.

(h) Which buffer is more resistant to a change in pH when a strong acid or a strong
base it added, the buffer made by Student 1 or the buffer made by Student 2?
Justify your answer.

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