Syllabus Edition

First teaching 2014

Last exams 2024

|

Calculations Involving Acids & Bases (DP IB Chemistry: HL)

Exam Questions

2 hours27 questions
1a
Sme Calculator
1 mark

Hydrocyanic acid, HCN, is used in the synthesis of polymers and pharmaceuticals. It is a weak acid.

Write an equation to show the dissociation of hydrocyanic acid.

1b1 mark

Pyridine is an organic compound with the chemical formula C5H5N. It is a weak base.

Write an equation to show how pyridine acts as a base.

1c2 marks

Write an equation to show the reaction between hydrocyanic acid and pyridine and identify two conjugate acid-base pairs.

1d2 marks

The pKa of hydrocyanic acid, HCN, is 9.2 at 298 K. Using section 21 of the Data booklet, deduce which of the two acids, ethanoic, CH3COOH, or hydrocyanic is the stronger acid.

Did this page help you?

2a4 marks

Using section 21 of the Data booklet, determine the Ka of chloroethanoic acid, dichloroethanoic acid and trichloroethanoic acid and state which is the stronger acid.

2b1 mark

Write the Ka expression for dichloroethanoic acid, CHCl2COOH.

2c1 mark

Methylamine, CH3NH2, is a substance used to synthesise many commercially available compounds. State the Kb expression for methylamine.

2d1 mark

State the relationship between Ka and Kb for an acid and its conjugate base.

Did this page help you?

3a
Sme Calculator
4 marks

A solution of 0.01 mol dm-3 ethanoic acid has a pH of 3.37 at 298 K. Determine the Ka of ethanoic acid.

3b
Sme Calculator
5 marks

A solution of 0.10 mol dm-3 methylamine, CH3NH2, has a pH of 11.80 at 298 K. Determine the Kb at this temperature.

3c
Sme Calculator
2 marks

Determine the [H+] in a 0.10 mol dm-3 solution whose Ka = 1.00 x 10-8 at 298 K.

3d
Sme Calculator
2 marks

Determine the pOH of the solution in part c).

Did this page help you?

4a
Sme Calculator
3 marks

Use section 21 of the Data booklet to answer this question.

i)
Write the formula of the conjugate base of methanoic acid.

[1]

ii)
Determine the pKb of the conjugate base

[2]

4b1 mark

The pKa of ethanoic acid is 4.76. Determine whether the conjugate base of methanoic acid is weaker or stronger than the conjugate base of ethanoic acid.

4c
Sme Calculator
1 mark

At 283 K the pKw of pure water is 14.54. Determine the pH at this temperature.

4d2 marks

Comment on the acid-base nature of water at 283 K in part c).

Did this page help you?

1a2 marks

At 298K, water molecules dissociate into equal quantities of ions, and the pH is 7.

i)
Write an equation to show the dissociation of water.

ii)
At 313 K, the pH of water is 6.77. Explain why water is still neutral with a pH of 6.77.
1b5 marks

The ionic product of water, Kw, can be used to find the pH of a strong base. Changing the temperature will affect the value for Kw.

i)
Give the expression and units for the ionic product of water, Kw

ii)
As temperature is increased, the value for Kw also increases. Explain why.

1c3 marks

Determine the pH of pure water at 40 .

Kw of pure water at 40 ℃ is 2.92 x 10-14 mol2 dm-3

1d3 marks

Strong bases fully ionise in water, as shown by the equation of dissociation of sodium hydroxide:

NaOH (aq) →  Na+ (aq) + OH- (aq)

At 298K, Kw is 1 x 10-14 mol2 dm-6.

Calculate the pH of a 0.05 mol dm-3  solution of NaOH at 298 K.      

Did this page help you?

2a1 mark

Weak acids do not fully ionise in solution. The acid dissociation constant, Ka is used to determine the hydrogen ion concentration.

Write an expression for the acid dissociation constant, Ka for the acid HA.

2b3 marks

The pH of a 0.15 mol dm-3 solution of HCN is 5.08 at 298 K. Calculate the value of Ka for HCN at 298 K.

Give your answer to two decimal places.

2c4 marks

A sample of 0.01 mol dm-3 butanoic acid has a Ka value of 1.51 x 10-5 mol dm-3.

i)
Write an expression for the acid dissociation constant, Ka, for butanoic acid.

ii)
Calculate the pH of the 0.01 mol dm-3 butanoic acid. Give your answer to two decimal places.
2d4 marks

0.50 moles of ammonia was dissolved in water to make a 1.00 dm3 solution. This solution has a hydroxide ion concentration of 6.40 x 10-3 mol dm-3

i)
Write an expression for the base dissociation constant, Kb, of ammonia.

ii)
Calculate a value for pKb for ammonia.

Did this page help you?

3a3 marks

The pH curve shown below was obtained when a 0.150 mol dm–3 solution of sodium hydroxide was added to 25.0 cm3 of an aqueous solution of ethanoic acid. The half equivalence point is where half of the volume of sodium hydroxide required for neutralisation has been added to the ethanoic acid.

i)
Label the graph with an X to show the position of the half equivalence point.

q3a_medium_calculations-involving-acids--bases_ib-dp-chem_hl

ii)
When half of the ethanoic acid solution has been neutralised, the remaining ethanoic acid concentration is equal to that of the sodium ethanoate that had formed. Calculate the pH at this point.

Ka of ethanoic acid = 1.75 x 10-5 mol dm-3.
3b6 marks

A different titration was performed using 0.100 mol dm-3 ammonia solution, NH3 (aq) and 25.00 cm3 of 0.100 nitric acid, HNO3 (aq). 

Using Section 21 of the Data Booklet, calculate the pH of the ammonia solution before it was added to the nitric acid.

3c2 marks

The titration is repeated using 0.200 mol dm-3 sodium hydroxide, NaOH (aq), instead of ammonia.

Determine whether the salt formed in this titration will be acidic, basic or neutral.

3d5 marks

Determine the pH of the solution if 150 cm3 of 0.30 mol dm-3 sodium hydroxide, NaOH (aq), is mixed with 200 cm3 0.10 mol dm-3 of nitric acid, HNO3 (aq).

Did this page help you?

4a1 mark

Monochloroacetic acid, ClH2COOH, is a skin irritant that is used in “chemical peels” intended to remove the top layer of dead skin from the face and ultimately improve the complexion.

Write an expression for the acid dissociation constant, Ka, of monochloroacetic acid.

4b4 marks

Calculate the pH of a 0.05 M solution of monochloric acid. 

The value of Ka for monochloroacetic acid is 1.35 x 10-3 mol dm-3

4c2 marks

Using Section 2 of the Data Booklet, calculate the value of [OH-] for the solution of monochloric acid.

4d2 marks

Calculate the percentage dissociation for the solution of monochloric acid.

Did this page help you?

5a2 marks

State the relationship between the following expressions for conjugate acid-base pair

i)
Ka and Kb

ii)
pKa and pKb
5b4 marks

Using Section 21 of the Data Booklet, calculate the following for the conjugate bases at 298 K.

i)
pKb of CH3CH2COO-

ii)
Kb of CH(Cl2)COO-

iii)
Ka of (CH3)2CHCOOH
5c4 marks

A student performs a titration using a 0.10 mol dm-3 ammonia, NH3 (aq), and a hydrochloric acid and 0.10 hydrochloric acid, HCl (aq).

 q5c_medium_calculations-involving-acids--bases_ib-dp-chem_hl

Volume of HCl (cm3)

i)
State the equation for the overall reaction that is occurring.

ii)
Mark on the curve the point at which the pOH is equal to pKb of the weak base and deduce the pKb of the acid.
5d1 mark

The student repeats the titration with 0.10 mol dm-3 ethanoic acid, CH3COOH (aq) which has a pKa value of 4.76. A sketch of the pH curve obtained is shown below.

q5d_medium_calculations-involving-acids--bases_ib-dp-chem_hl

Explain why it is difficult to determine the equivalence point for this reaction accurately.

Did this page help you?

1a
Sme Calculator
1 mark

Determine the Ka of benzoic acid using section 21 of the Data booklet.

1b1 mark

Using the Ka value for benzoic acid, state and explain its acidic character.

1c
Sme Calculator
5 marks

Benzoic acid has a solubility of 0.344 g / 100 g water at 293 K. Determine the hydrogen ion concentration and pH of saturated benzoic acid solution at this temperature.

1d1 mark

What assumption is made in the calculation in part c)?

Did this page help you?

2a3 marks

Nitric acid, HNO3, and hydrocyanic acid, HCN, can be made from ammonia. Hydrocyanic acid has a pKa of 9.21.

Formulate equations for the dissociation of each acid and distinguish between the terms strong and weak in this context.

2b
Sme Calculator
2 marks

Write an expression for the acid dissociation constant, Ka, of hydrocyanic acid and calculate the Ka at 298 K.

2c
Sme Calculator
2 marks

Determine the hydrogen ion concentration and pH of 0.15 mol dm-3 hydrocyanic acid.

2d
Sme Calculator
2 marks

Write an expression to show the ionisation of the conjugate base of hydrocyanic acid and calculate it Kb value.

Did this page help you?

3a3 marks

Calculate the pH of a solution made by mixing 50.0 cm3 of 0.200 mol dm-3 HCl (aq) with 50.0 cm3 of 0.100 mol dm-3 NH3 (aq)

3b
Sme Calculator
5 marks

A 0.100 mol dm-3 solution of NH3 (aq) contains 1.28 x 10-3 mol dm-3 in hydroxide ion.

i)
Determine the pH of the solution.

[3]

ii)
Comment on the relative base strength of 0.100 mol dm-3 NaOH (aq) compared to 0.100 mol dm-3 NH3 (aq)

[2]

3c3 marks

Determine the base dissociation constant, Kb for ammonia using the information in part b).

3d
Sme Calculator
4 marks

The pH of pure water is 6.92 at 328 K and Kb for NH3 (aq) at this temperature is 1.80 x10-5.

Determine the pKa of [NH4+] at this temperature.

Did this page help you?