Calculate the pH of a solution made by adding 2.50 g of lithium oxide 1Li2O2 to enough water to make 1.500 L of solution.

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Determine the molar mass of lithium oxide (Li2O). Calculate it by adding the atomic masses of lithium (Li) and oxygen (O) from the periodic table.

Convert the mass of lithium oxide (2.50 g) to moles using the molar mass calculated in the previous step.

Write the balanced chemical equation for the reaction of lithium oxide with water. Li2O reacts with water to form lithium hydroxide (LiOH).

Calculate the concentration of lithium hydroxide (LiOH) in the solution by dividing the moles of LiOH by the volume of the solution in liters (1.500 L).

Use the concentration of LiOH to find the pH. Since LiOH is a strong base, it dissociates completely in water, and the concentration of OH- ions is equal to the concentration of LiOH. Calculate the pOH and then use the relation pH + pOH = 14 to find the pH.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

pH Scale

The pH scale measures the acidity or basicity of a solution, ranging from 0 to 14. A pH of 7 is considered neutral, while values below 7 indicate acidity and values above 7 indicate basicity. The pH is calculated as the negative logarithm of the hydrogen ion concentration in the solution, which is crucial for understanding the solution's chemical behavior.

Lithium Oxide (Li2O) Dissociation

Lithium oxide is a basic oxide that reacts with water to form lithium hydroxide (LiOH). This reaction increases the concentration of hydroxide ions (OH-) in the solution, which in turn affects the pH. Understanding this dissociation is essential for calculating the resulting pH after the oxide is dissolved in water.

Molarity and Concentration Calculations

Molarity is a measure of concentration defined as the number of moles of solute per liter of solution. To calculate the pH, one must first determine the number of moles of lithium oxide in the given mass and then find the concentration of hydroxide ions produced in the solution. This step is critical for accurately determining the pH of the resulting solution.

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Textbook Question

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