Question detail
If the pH of a solution decreases from 5 to 2, by what factor does the hydrogen ion concentration increase?
Try the question, check the answer, then read the explanation to understand the curriculum point.
At a glance
Question
Type
exam_style
Style
Topic
Reactions of acids
Question
If the pH of a solution decreases from 5 to 2, by what factor does the hydrogen ion concentration increase?
Answer
The calculated answer is 1000.
Explanation
This uses the formula registry because the objective is about (HT only) Explain that a lower pH means a higher hydrogen ion concentration. This redox focus variant asks students to separate HT only from similar Unit 4.4 chemical-change ideas. The reasoning belongs to Strong and weak acids (HT only) within Reactions of acids, so it should not be confused with nearby ideas about acids, alkalis, bases, oxidation, reduction, displacement, reactivity, electrolysis, electrodes, ions, pH, or salt preparation unless those are named in the objective. Use the focus term HT only to keep the answer aligned with AQA GCSE Chemistry 8462 Unit 4.4 Chemical changes. Keep acid, alkali and base distinct; keep oxidation and reduction distinct; do not mix reduction with displacement; keep electrolysis separate from electroplating; distinguish anode from cathode, positive ions from negative ions, oxidation state from ionic charge, and strong acid from concentrated acid.
Common mistake
pH–concentration relationship
Students think a lower pH simply means a lower concentration of hydrogen ions, or they confuse pH with the amount of acid present.
Explain that pH is the negative logarithm of the hydrogen ion concentration: pH = –log[H⁺]. A lower pH value indicates a higher [H⁺] because the logarithm function is decreasing. For example, a solution with pH 3 has ten times the [H⁺] of a solution with pH 4, and a pH of 1 has 100 times the [H⁺] of a pH 3 solution. Emphasise that pH is a measure of acidity, not the quantity of acid added.
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