Question

(i) The pH of a sample of tomato juice is 4.6. How is this juice likely to be in taste? Give reason to justify your answer.
(ii) How do we differentiate between a strong acid and a weak base in terms of ion-formation in aqueous solutions?
(iii) The acid rain can make the survival of aquatic animals difficult. How?

Answer 1

(i). Tomato juice is likely to be sour in taste because its pH is less than 7. Substances with a pH below 7 are acidic, and acids typically taste sour

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(ii). A strong acid ionizes completely in water, releasing a large number of $\text{H}^+$ ions.
Example:$\text{HCl} \rightarrow \text{H}^+ + \text{Cl}^-.$
A weak base partially ionizes in water, releasing fewer $\text{OH}^-$ ions.
Example:$\text{NH}_4\text{OH} \rightleftharpoons \text{NH}_4^+ + \text{OH}^-.$

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(iii). Acid rain lowers the pH of water bodies, making the water acidic. This affects aquatic life because:
• It damages the gills of fish and other aquatic organisms.
• It reduces the availability of essential minerals by dissolving toxic metals like aluminum.