Class 10 Exam  >  Class 10 Questions  >  What happens when acetic acid is added to dis... Start Learning for Free
What happens when acetic acid is added to distilled water?
Most Upvoted Answer
What happens when acetic acid is added to distilled water?
When acetic acid is added to distilled water a Homogeneous solution will be obtained and that solution will be colourless and transparent this shows that ethanoic acid or acetic acid in soluble in water. ... Thus adding few drops of acetic acid will make it little acidic......
Community Answer
What happens when acetic acid is added to distilled water?
**Introduction**

When acetic acid is added to distilled water, a chemical reaction occurs, resulting in the formation of a solution known as diluted acetic acid. Acetic acid, also known as ethanoic acid, is a weak acid with the molecular formula CH3COOH. Distilled water, on the other hand, is pure water that has been separated from impurities through a process of distillation.

**Dissociation of Acetic Acid**

When acetic acid is added to distilled water, the acetic acid molecules dissociate, releasing hydrogen ions (H+) into the solution. This dissociation occurs because acetic acid is a weak acid, meaning it only partially ionizes in water. The dissociation reaction can be represented as follows:

CH3COOH ⇌ CH3COO- + H+

The acetic acid molecule (CH3COOH) breaks apart into the acetate ion (CH3COO-) and a hydrogen ion (H+).

**Formation of Hydronium Ions**

The released hydrogen ions (H+) react with water molecules (H2O) present in the solution, resulting in the formation of hydronium ions (H3O+). This process is known as protonation and can be represented by the following equation:

H+ + H2O → H3O+

The hydrogen ion accepts a lone pair of electrons from a water molecule, forming a hydronium ion.

**Dilution of Acetic Acid**

The addition of acetic acid to distilled water also results in the dilution of the acid. Since distilled water has a neutral pH of 7, adding acetic acid (which is acidic) will decrease the overall acidity of the solution. This means that the concentration of acetic acid in the solution decreases as it becomes more diluted.

**Final Solution**

After the addition of acetic acid to distilled water and the subsequent dissociation and dilution processes, the final solution contains acetic acid molecules, acetate ions, hydronium ions, and water molecules. The solution will have a slightly acidic pH due to the presence of the hydronium ions resulting from the dissociation of acetic acid. The concentration of acetic acid in the solution will depend on the amount of acid added and the volume of water used for dilution.

Overall, when acetic acid is added to distilled water, it dissociates into acetate ions and hydrogen ions. The hydrogen ions further react with water molecules to form hydronium ions. This process leads to the dilution of acetic acid and the formation of a slightly acidic solution.
Attention Class 10 Students!
To make sure you are not studying endlessly, EduRev has designed Class 10 study material, with Structured Courses, Videos, & Test Series. Plus get personalized analysis, doubt solving and improvement plans to achieve a great score in Class 10.
Explore Courses for Class 10 exam

Top Courses for Class 10

What happens when acetic acid is added to distilled water?
Question Description
What happens when acetic acid is added to distilled water? for Class 10 2024 is part of Class 10 preparation. The Question and answers have been prepared according to the Class 10 exam syllabus. Information about What happens when acetic acid is added to distilled water? covers all topics & solutions for Class 10 2024 Exam. Find important definitions, questions, meanings, examples, exercises and tests below for What happens when acetic acid is added to distilled water?.
Solutions for What happens when acetic acid is added to distilled water? in English & in Hindi are available as part of our courses for Class 10. Download more important topics, notes, lectures and mock test series for Class 10 Exam by signing up for free.
Here you can find the meaning of What happens when acetic acid is added to distilled water? defined & explained in the simplest way possible. Besides giving the explanation of What happens when acetic acid is added to distilled water?, a detailed solution for What happens when acetic acid is added to distilled water? has been provided alongside types of What happens when acetic acid is added to distilled water? theory, EduRev gives you an ample number of questions to practice What happens when acetic acid is added to distilled water? tests, examples and also practice Class 10 tests.
Explore Courses for Class 10 exam

Top Courses for Class 10

Explore Courses
Signup for Free!
Signup to see your scores go up within 7 days! Learn & Practice with 1000+ FREE Notes, Videos & Tests.
10M+ students study on EduRev