Answer:
<em>C: After 1 hour, the pH of the solution in the PEPCID AC beaker was 9.2 and the pH of the solution in the Alka-Seltzer beaker was 8.3</em>
Explanation:
The degree of acidity or alkalinity/basicity of a substance is its pH. The value of pH ranges from 1 to 14 with the former being extreme acidity and the latter being extreme alkalinity while pH 7 is considered neutral.
Hence, any pH below 7 is considered acidic and above 7 is considered alkaline.
Reactions involving equal volumes of an acid and a base can end in acidic, alkaline or neutral pH depending on the strength of the acid/base involved;
- Equal volumes of strong acid with strong base will result in neutral pH
- Equal volumes of weak acid with strong base will result in alkaline pH
- Equal volume of strong acid with weak base will result in acidic pH
If substance A and B reacts with equal volume of the same acid under the same condition and the end result of A is a solution with pH of 9.2 and that of B is a pH of 8.3, it simply means substance A is a stronger base than substance B.
<em>Hence, the only outcome that supports the hypothesis that a tablet of PEPCID AC can neutralize more stomach acid than a tablet of Alka-Seltzer is that the pH of the solution in the PEPCID AC beaker was 9.2 and the pH of the solution in the Alka-Seltzer beaker was 8.3 after being subjected to the same condition.</em>
If an indigestion is due to excess stomach acid, the only way to reduce the acidity is to consume a substance that will decrease the degree of acidity in the stomach. This means that the patient will need to consume something that is alkaline in order to increase the pH.
