Academic Integrity: tutoring, explanations, and feedback — we don’t complete graded work or submit on a student’s behalf.

Pyridine is a weak base that is used in the manufacture of pesticides and plasti

ID: 939320 • Letter: P

Question

Pyridine is a weak base that is used in the manufacture of pesticides and plastic resins. It is also a component of cigarette smoke. Pyridine ionizes in water as follows:

C5H5N(aq)+H2O(l)C5H5NH+(aq)+OH(aq)

The pKb of pyridine is 8.75. What is the pH of a 0.455 mol L1 solution of pyridine?

Benzoic acid is a weak acid that has antimicrobial properties. Its sodium salt, sodium benzoate, is a preservative found in foods, medications, and personal hygiene products. Benzoic acid dissociates in water:

C6H5COOH(aq)+H2O(l)C6H5COO(aq)+H3O(aq)

The pKa of this reaction is 4.2. In a 0.64 mol L1 solution of benzoic acid, what percentage of the molecules are ionized?

Explanation / Answer

a) pH of 0.455 M pyridine

pKb = -log[Kb] = 8.75

Kb = 1.78 x 10^-9

let x amount of pyridine has reacted,

Kb = x^2/0.455 = 1.78 x 10^-9

x = [OH-] = 2.84 x 10^-5 M

pOH = -log[OH-] = 4.54

pH = 14 - pOH = 9.45

b) pH of 0.64 M benzoic acid

pKa = -log[Ka] = 4.2

Ka = 6.31 x 10^-5

Ka = x^2/0.64

x = [H+] = 6.35 x 10^-3 M

pH = -log[H+] = 2.20

% of molecules ionized = (6.35 x 10^-3/0.64) x 100 = 0.99%