Try it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
A hydrogen electrode at and a calomel reference electrode of potential form a cell at . The hydrogen electrode dips into solution A, and the cell emf is . Then it dips into solution B, and the emf is . (a) Find the pH of A and of B. (b) What emf would the cell give for pure water at pH ?
The hydrogen electrode at has , so with a reference electrode of potential the cell emf is . A glass electrode is calibrated with two buffers: the slope is the change in reading divided by the change in pH. For a silver halide, , and the same form holds for another metal with .
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Given. , and the factor is for each unit of pH.
Step 1. Solution A. .
Step 2. Solution B. .
Step 3. Pure water. .
Answer: A is acidic with pH , B is basic with pH , and neutral water gives .
Check. The emf rises with the pH, so the basic solution B gives the larger reading, as it does.
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