Lesson Plan

Lesson: pH and pOH

Aim :

To study pH and pOH

Learning Outcomes :

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

1. define the ionic product of water.

2. relate the acidity of an aqueous solution with its pH value.

3. define pH and pOH and calculate their values using the molar concentrations of
H+ and OH-.

Assumed prior knowledge :

Students should already be familiar with :

1. the concept of equilibrium constants.

2. the definitions of acids and bases.

Underlying Principles

1. Making the invisible, visible.

2. Enabling students to know what to look for.

Time taken to complete the activities : 80 minutes

Differentiation

Questions in the student notes are designed to enable all students to complete the activity.
The pop-up answers are provided for the students to view when they have considered their
responses. Worksheet questions include questions that require recall, understanding and
application of the new concepts learned.

© 2003 Ministry of Education Malaysia. All Rights Reserved. Page 1 of 4

Development of Lesson :

No. Steps Strategy Resources

1 Set Induction. • Teacher to get students to recall the

(Ascertaining prior definitions of acids and bases.
knowledge and
introducing lesson Teacher to introduce lesson objectives for
topic for the day). the day.

2 Student Activity Teacher to go through Activities 1 - 3 • Courseware

with the students.

• Activity 1 : Ionic product of water, Kw

Students get to investigate how the auto-

ionisation of water leads to the presence
of ions in pure water. They get to view
how the expression for the ionic product
of water is derived.

• Activity 2 : pH and pOH

Students are shown how the acidity and
basicity of an aqueous solution depends
on the concentrations of H+ and OH- ions
present. They are taught the definitions
pH and pOH.

• Activity 3 : Calculating pH and pOH

Students are shown how to calculate the

pH and pOH of some aqueous solutions.

3 Evaluation • Students to answer questions in the • Worksheet

student worksheet on their own.

4 Extension activity • Students to go through the extension • Websites

activities on their own. • Reference
books.

© 2003 Ministry of Education Malaysia. All Rights Reserved. Page 2 of 4

Worksheet answers

1. Ionic product of water, Kw

1.1 a. As temperature increases, Kw increases.

b. As temperature increases, Kw increases. This is because dissociation of

water is an endothermic process.

H2O(l) H+(aq) + OH– (aq) ∆H = +ve

Increase in temperature favours the formation of H+ and OH– ions.

3. Calculating pH and pOH

3.1 a. pH = – lg [H+]
= – lg (3.2 x 10–9) = 8.5

b. Kw = [H+] [OH–]
In pure water, [H+] = [OH–] so that Kw = [H+]2

... [H+] = (0.30 x 10–14 mol2 dm–6)1/2 = 5.48 x 10–8 mol dm–3
pH = – lg [H+]
= – lg (5.48 x 10–8) = 7.3

c. H2SO4 → 2H+ + SO42–

pH = – lg (2 x 0.10)
= 0.70

3.2 a. pH + pOH = 14
pH = 14 – pOH
= 14 – (lg 0.5)
= 14 – 0.30
= 13.7

b. pH + pOH = 14
pH = 14 – pOH
= 14 – (lg 0.5 x 2)
= 14

3.3 a. Kw = [H+] [OH–]

Kw 1.0 x 10–14
[H ] = ––––––––– = ––––––––––– = 1.0 x 10–6 mol dm–3
+

[OH–] 1.0 x 10–8

pH = –lg [H+] = –lg (1.0 x 10–6) = 6.0

© 2003 Ministry of Education Malaysia. All Rights Reserved. Page 3 of 4

 25 x 0.1
3.4 a. No. of moles of H+ = = 2.5 x 10–3
1000

25 x 0.2
No. of moles of OH– = –––––––– = 5 x 10–3
1000

Excess no. of moles of OH– = 2.5 x 10–3

2.5 x 10 -3
... [OH–] = = 0.05 mol dm−3
50
1000
.
. . pOH = – lg (0.05) = 1.3

... pH = 14 – 1.3 = 12.7

© 2003 Ministry of Education Malaysia. All Rights Reserved. Page 4 of 4