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QuestionChemistry

What is the pH level of hydrogen peroxide, a commonly used developer in hair coloring products?
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Step 1:
I'll solve this problem step by step, following the specified LaTeX formatting guidelines:

Step 2:
: Understand Hydrogen Peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide ($$H_{2}O_{2}$$) is a weak acid that partially dissociates in water.
To find its pH, we'll need to calculate its acid dissociation constant (K_{a}).

Step 3:
: Write the Dissociation Equation

H_{2}O_{2} \rightleftharpoons H^{+} + HO_{2}^{-}

Step 4:
: Identify the Acid Dissociation Constant

The $$K_{a}$$ for hydrogen peroxide is approximately $$1.5 \times 10^{-12}$$ at standard temperature.

Step 5:
: Calculate the Concentration of Hydrogen Ions

K_{a} = \frac{[H^{+}][HO_{2}^{-}]}{[H_{2}O_{2}]}

Step 6:
: Solve for [H^{+}]

[H^{+}] = 1.22 \times 10^{-7}$$ mol/L
[H^{+}] = \sqrt{(1.5 \times 10^{- 12}) \times (1.0 \times 10^{- 2})}

Step 7:
: Calculate pH

pH = 6.91
pH = -\log_{10}(1.22 \times 10^{- 7})

Final Answer

The pH of hydrogen peroxide is approximately 6.91, which is slightly acidic but close to neutral.