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Hello! If someone could please explain this problem, I got it wrong and it said

ID: 873954 • Letter: H

Question

Hello! If someone could please explain this problem, I got it wrong and it said to recheck my Ka value, I got 6.31 X 10-5 for my Ka value, so now I'm lost. Thanks for any help!

Benzoic acid is a weak acid that has antimicrobial properties. Its sodium salt, sodium benzoate, is a preservative found in foods, medications, and personal hygiene products. Benzoic acid ionizes in water:

C6H5COOH ? C6H5COO?+H+

The pKa of this reaction is 4.2. In a 0.55M solution of benzoic acid, what percentage of the molecules are ionized?

Express your answer to two significant figures and include the appropriate units.

Explanation / Answer

Benzoic acid is a weak acid that has antimicrobial properties. Its sodium salt, sodium benzoate, is a preservative found in foods, medications, and personal hygiene products. Benzoic acid ionizes in water:

C6H5COOH

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