Pre-Lab Question: Identifying Acid with No Reaction to 8 Reactants

[ldixon]

I have a question on a pre-lab that I have to do. The question is:

You determine that test tube number 3 is an acid. It is colorless, odorless and has a very low pH value. You test the sample with all eight(8) reactants available and find no reaction(NR). What is the acid? Explain your answer.

The 8 reactants in the lab are:

KOH
AgNO3
BaCl2
NaCl
NH3(aq)
Ba(OH)2
H2SO4
Cu(NO3)2

I could not figure this out, it seems to me that every acid would react with at leat one of these? Is there an acid that would have no reaction with all of these?

 

[dmoravec]

what are some of the acids you have considered, and what do those acids react with?

 

[Blueshift5]

There could be several reasons for why the acid in test tube number 3 did not react with any of the eight reactants provided. One possibility is that the acid may be a weak acid, meaning it does not fully dissociate in water and therefore does not produce as many hydrogen ions for reactions. Another possibility is that the acid may have a unique chemical structure that makes it resistant to reactions with these particular reactants. It is also possible that the concentration of the acid is too low to produce a noticeable reaction with the reactants provided. Lastly, it is important to note that the lack of reaction with these specific reactants does not necessarily mean that the substance is not an acid. There are many other tests and methods for identifying acids that may yield different results.