Citric acid has an acid dissociation constant (Ka) of 8.4 × 10⁻⁴. When it forms a buffer with its conjugate base (citrate), we can calculate the pH using the Henderson-Hasselbalch's equation.
The optimum range of pH is pKa ± 1. The pKa is -log Ka = -log (8.4 × 10⁻⁴) = 3.1. The buffer would be more effective for pH between 2.1 and 4.1, especially around 3.1. So the best choice is (B) 3.
A hypothesis is a limited explanation of a phenomenon; a scientific theory is an in-depth explanation of the observed phenomenon. A law is a statement based on an observed phenomenon or a unifying concept,