Question:

The pH of a $0.01\text{ M NaOH}$ solution is

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Remember that strong bases like NaOH completely dissociate in water and the concentration of $\text{OH}^-$ ions directly affects the pH calculation.
Updated On: Jun 3, 2026
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Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Concept
The pH of a solution is defined as the negative logarithm (base 10) of the hydrogen ion concentration \([\text{H}^+]\). For strong bases like sodium hydroxide (NaOH), the concentration of \(\text{OH}^-\) ions can be used to find the concentration of \(\text{H}^+\) ions using the autoionization constant of water, \(K_w = [\text{H}^+][\text{OH}^-] = 10^{-14}\) at \(25^\circ\text{C}\).

Step 2: Meaning
The given solution is a strong base (\(0.01\text{ M NaOH}\)), meaning it completely dissociates in water to produce \(\text{Na}^+\) and \(\text{OH}^-\) ions. The concentration of \(\text{OH}^-\) ions will be equal to the concentration of the base, \([\text{OH}^-] = 0.01\text{ M}\).

Step 3: Analysis
To find the pH, we first need to determine the concentration of \(\text{H}^+\) ions using the autoionization constant of water: \[[\text{H}^+] = \frac{K_w}{[\text{OH}^-]} = \frac{10^{-14}}{0.01} = 10^{-12}\text{ M}\] Now, we can calculate the pH using the definition of pH: \[\text{pH} = -\log_{10}([\text{H}^+]) = -\log_{10}(10^{-12}) = 12\] This calculation shows that the solution is highly basic and has a pH of 12.

Step 4: Conclusion
The calculated pH for a \(0.01\text{ M NaOH}\) solution is 12, which matches option A.

Final Answer: (A)
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