Glycolic acid, which is a monoprotic acid and a constituent in sugar cane, has a pKa of 3.9. A 25.0 mL solution of glycolic acid is titrated to the equivalence point with 45.4 mL of 0.020 M sodium hydroxide solution. What is the pH of the resulting solution at the equivalence point

pH of resulting solution = 7.98

Explanation:

The balanced equation  

HA + NaOH - Na+ + A- + H2O

Number of moles of A = Number of moles of HA  = Number of moles of NaOH

= 35.8/1000 * 0.020 = 0.000716 mol

Initial concentration of A = 0.000716/0.0608 = 0.01178 M

pKb = 14 – pKa = 14 -3.9 = 10.1

Kb = 10^{-Kb} = 10^{-10.1} = 7.943 * 10^-11

Kb = [HA][OH-]/[A-]

Kb = a^2/(0.01178 -a) = 7.943 * 10^-11

a^2 + 7.943 * 10^-11 a – 9.357 * 10^-13 = 0

a = 9.673 * 10^-7

OH- = a = 9.673 * 10^-7 M

pOH = -log [OH-] = -log (9.673 * 10^-7) = 6.02

pH = 14-6.02 = 7.98

it is a good conductor

explanation: