Question

The pH of pure water at 25°C is 7.0. The enthalpy change of the autoionization of water is +55.89 kJ/mol. What is the pH of pure water at 100°C?

Answer 1

Answer:

6.14

Explanation:

If the pH falls as temperature increases, this does not mean that water becomes more acidic at higher temperatures. A solution is acidic if there is an excess of hydrogen ions over hydroxide ions (i.e., pH < pOH). In the case of pure water, there are always the same concentration of hydrogen ions and hydroxide ions and hence, the water is still neutral (pH = pOH) - even if its pH changes.

The problem is that we are all familiar with 7 being the pH of pure water, that anything else feels really strange. Remember that to calculate the neutral value of pH from  Kw . If that changes, then the neutral value for pH changes as well. At 100°C, the pH of pure water is 6.14, which is "neutral" on the pH scale at this higher temperature. A solution with a pH of 7 at this temperature is slightly alkaline because its pH is a bit higher than the neutral value of 6.14.