Drain cleaner has a pH of about 14. How can it be classified, based on its pH? A. It is a very strong base. B. It is close to neutral but slightly basic. C. It is close to neutral but slightly acidic. D. It is a very strong acid.

Question

Chemistry

Meghan Sloan

12 December, 18:13

Drain cleaner has a pH of about 14. How can it be classified, based on its pH? A. It is a very strong base. B. It is close to neutral but slightly basic. C. It is close to neutral but slightly acidic. D. It is a very strong acid.

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Answers (1)

Know the Answer?

Connor Conway · Answer 1

A. It is a very strong base.

Explanation:

To answer the question we need to ask ourselves several questions

What is pH?

pH refers to the measure of alkalinity or acidity of a substance.

How is pH measured?

pH is measured by determining the concentration of Hydrogen ions (H⁺) in a given solution. Then calculated by getting negative logarithm of hydrogen ions concentration. That is, pH = - log[H⁺]

What does pH tell about a solution?

A solution with a pH below 7 is acidic while a solution with a pH above 7 is basic while that with a pH of 7 is neutral. A pH of 1 to 3 represents a strong acid while a pH of 4 to 6 represents a weak acid. Strong alkali or bases have a pH of 12 to 14 while weak alkali or bases have a pH of 8 to 11. Therefore, a solution with a pH of 14 is a very strong base