College Board · AP Chemistry

AP Chemistry: Acids and Bases — Practice Questions & Answers

Master pH, Ka and Kb equilibria, conjugate pairs, buffers, and titration curves for AP Chemistry Unit 8.

460 practice questions available for this unit — here are 10 with full answers and explanations.

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Practice questions with answers

1 Multiple choice · Easy

According to the Bronsted-Lowry definition, an acid is a substance that does which of the following?

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WhyA Bronsted-Lowry acid is a proton (H+) donor, while a Bronsted-Lowry base is a proton acceptor.
2 Multiple choice · Easy

A solution has [H+] = 1.0 x 10^-4 M at 25 degrees C. What is the pH of the solution?

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WhypH = -log[H+] = -log(1.0 x 10^-4) = 4.0.
3 Multiple choice · Easy

At 25 degrees C, a solution with pH = 9 is best described as which of the following?

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WhyA pH greater than 7 indicates a basic solution; pH less than 7 is acidic and pH = 7 is neutral at 25 degrees C.
4 Multiple choice · Easy

Which of the following is classified as a strong acid that ionizes essentially completely in water?

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WhyHCl is a strong acid that dissociates nearly 100% in water; CH3COOH, HF, and HCN are weak acids that only partially ionize.
5 Fill in the blank · Easy

At 25 degrees C, the ion-product constant of water, Kw, equals [H+][OH-] = 1.0 x 10^-14. For any aqueous solution at this temperature, the sum pH + pOH equals .

Answer: 14 / 14.0

WhySince Kw = 1.0 x 10^-14 at 25 degrees C, taking -log of both sides gives pH + pOH = 14.
6 Fill in the blank · Easy

For a weak acid HA, the equilibrium expression for its ionization constant is Ka = ([H+][A-]) / .

Answer: [HA] / HA

WhyFor HA <-> H+ + A-, Ka equals the product of product concentrations divided by the concentration of the undissociated acid [HA].
7 Multiple choice · Medium

What is the pH of a 0.025 M solution of the strong base NaOH at 25 degrees C?

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WhyNaOH fully dissociates, so [OH-] = 0.025 M; pOH = -log(0.025) = 1.60, and pH = 14.00 - 1.60 = 12.40.
8 Multiple choice · Medium

A 0.10 M solution of a weak acid HA has a pH of 3.0 at 25 degrees C. What is the approximate Ka of HA?

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Why[H+] = 10^-3 = 1.0 x 10^-3 M, so Ka = (1.0 x 10^-3)^2 / (0.10 - 0.001) approximately = 1.0 x 10^-6 / 0.10 = 1.0 x 10^-5.
9 Multiple choice · Medium

Which statement correctly describes the relationship between an acid's Ka and the Kb of its conjugate base at 25 degrees C?

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WhyFor a conjugate acid-base pair, Ka x Kb = Kw = 1.0 x 10^-14, so a stronger acid (larger Ka) has a weaker conjugate base (smaller Kb).
10 Multiple choice · Medium

A buffer is prepared with equal concentrations of CH3COOH (Ka = 1.8 x 10^-5) and CH3COO-. What is the approximate pH of this buffer at 25 degrees C?

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WhyWhen [acid] = [base], the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation gives pH = pKa = -log(1.8 x 10^-5) = 4.74.

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Key terms in Acids and Bases

Acid: A substance that increases the concentration of hydrogen ions (H+) when dissolved in water.
Base: A substance that increases the concentration of hydroxide ions (OH-) or accepts protons in solution.
Arrhenius acid: A compound that releases H+ ions when dissolved in water.
Arrhenius base: A compound that releases OH- ions when dissolved in water.
Bronsted-Lowry acid: A species that donates a proton (H+) in a chemical reaction.
Bronsted-Lowry base: A species that accepts a proton (H+) in a chemical reaction.
Proton donor: A reactant that gives up an H+ ion during an acid-base reaction.
Proton acceptor: A reactant that receives an H+ ion during an acid-base reaction.

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