Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Neutralization Reaction
A neutralization reaction occurs when an acid reacts with a base to produce water and a salt. In this case, aluminum hydroxide (Al(OH)₃) acts as the base that will neutralize the stomach acid, which is primarily hydrochloric acid (HCl). Understanding the stoichiometry of this reaction is essential to determine the amount of Al(OH)₃ needed.
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pH and Hydrogen Ion Concentration
pH is a measure of the acidity or basicity of a solution, defined as the negative logarithm of the hydrogen ion concentration. A pH of 1.5 indicates a high concentration of hydrogen ions (H⁺), which can be calculated using the formula [H⁺] = 10^(-pH). This concentration is crucial for determining how much base is required to neutralize the acid.
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Molar Mass and Stoichiometry
Molar mass is the mass of one mole of a substance, which is necessary for converting between grams and moles. In this problem, knowing the molar mass of Al(OH)₃ allows us to calculate how many grams are needed based on the moles of H⁺ ions present in the stomach acid. Stoichiometry helps relate the moles of acid to the moles of base required for neutralization.
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