Hello
I need to calculate the pH of a 0.15 M NaHSO3 solution, and I don't know how to go about it. My book only provides the Ka for HSO4, not HSO3-, and while I'm sure I could find it online, there must be some other way to do this.
I thought I'd try using the Ka2 of H2SO3, but I got the wrong answer when I did it.
Am I just missing something here? Thank you!
Edit: All right, I just did the next problem (where I was given the information) and I still got it wrong. Can you tell me where I screwed up?
Estimate the pH of 0.125 M NaHCO3
I decided it was functioning primarily as a base (the pKb was 7.63 and the pKa was 10.25). Then Kb= 2.3*10^-8, and Kb=
[OH-][H2CO3]/[HCO3-]
I set up an equilibrium table and solved for x; x= 5.41*10^-5
So pOH= 4.27 and pH= 9.73
But the pH is supposed to be 8.31. Do you see where I messed up?
Thanks again, and sorry this was so long!