What is the best explanation of a strong acid?
A The acid is completely ionised in solution in water - OCR Gateway - GCSE Chemistry Combined Science - Question 1 - 2019 - Paper 9
Question 1
What is the best explanation of a strong acid?
A The acid is completely ionised in solution in water.
B The acid is partially ionised in solution in water.
C Ther... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:What is the best explanation of a strong acid?
A The acid is completely ionised in solution in water - OCR Gateway - GCSE Chemistry Combined Science - Question 1 - 2019 - Paper 9
Step 1
A The acid is completely ionised in solution in water.
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Answer
A strong acid is characterized by its complete ionization in water, meaning that when it is dissolved, it dissociates entirely into its constituent ions. For example, hydrochloric acid (HCl) will dissociate fully into H⁺ and Cl⁻ ions. This property is what makes strong acids differ from weak acids, which only partially ionize in solution.
Step 2
B The acid is partially ionised in solution in water.
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Answer
This statement describes weak acids rather than strong acids. Weak acids like acetic acid do not ionize completely and exist in equilibrium between the undissociated acid and its ions.
Step 3
C There is a large amount of acid and a small amount of water.
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This statement does not uniquely describe a strong acid. While one can have a high concentration of strong acid, the defining characteristic relates to ionization rather than the proportion of acid to water.
Step 4
D There is a small amount of acid and a large amount of water.
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Answer
Similar to option C, this statement does not capture what makes an acid strong or weak. The quantity of acid present does not affect its strength; it is the degree of ionization in solution that matters.
