The pOH of a solution is defined as the negative logarithm of the concentration of which ion?

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Multiple Choice

The pOH of a solution is defined as the negative logarithm of the concentration of which ion?

Explanation:
pOH gauges how basic a solution is by looking at the hydroxide ion concentration. It is defined as the negative base-10 logarithm of [OH−]: pOH = −log[OH−]. This mirrors pH, which is defined as −log[H+], and together they relate through Kw: pH + pOH = 14 at 25 °C. The hydrogen ion concentration defines pH, not pOH, so using −log[H+] would give pH, not pOH. A ratio of hydroxide to hydrogen ions isn’t how pOH is defined, since pOH depends on the actual [OH−] value. The pH of the solution is a different quantity from the pOH. For example, if [OH−] = 1.0×10−4 M, then pOH = 4 and pH = 10, illustrating their complementary relationship.

pOH gauges how basic a solution is by looking at the hydroxide ion concentration. It is defined as the negative base-10 logarithm of [OH−]: pOH = −log[OH−]. This mirrors pH, which is defined as −log[H+], and together they relate through Kw: pH + pOH = 14 at 25 °C. The hydrogen ion concentration defines pH, not pOH, so using −log[H+] would give pH, not pOH. A ratio of hydroxide to hydrogen ions isn’t how pOH is defined, since pOH depends on the actual [OH−] value. The pH of the solution is a different quantity from the pOH. For example, if [OH−] = 1.0×10−4 M, then pOH = 4 and pH = 10, illustrating their complementary relationship.

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