Which has a higher #pH# value : #0.01 M# #NaOH# or #0.1 M# #NaHCO_3#?

1 Answer
Jan 16, 2018

#0.01M \ NaOH#

Explanation:

To calculate the #pH# of #0.01M \ NaOH#, let's calculate the #pOH# first, because #NaOH# dissociates into #Na^+# and #OH^-# when dissolved in water.

#pOH=-log[OH^-]#

#pOH=-log[0.01]=2#

Know that here,

#pOH+pH=14#, (Source: https://socratic.org/questions/why-does-ph-poh-14)

#pH=14-2=12#

So, a #0.01M \ NaOH# solution will have a #pH# of #12#.

I'm not sure about how to calculate the #pH# of #NaHCO_3#, but I found online, that #0.1M \ NaHCO_3# at #25^@C# has a #pH=8.3#.
(Source: https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/sodium_bicarbonate)

So, #0.01M \ NaOH# has a higher #pH# than #0.1M \ NaHCO_3#.