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How many times stronger is the hydrogen-ion concentration of a pH 4 solution compared with a pH 9 solution?

  • A. 50
  • B. 100,000
  • C. 0.000001
  • D. 5
Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The pH scale measures the concentration of hydrogen ions in a solution, where each pH unit change represents a tenfold difference in concentration. In this case, the pH 4 solution is 5 units lower than the pH 9 solution. Therefore, the difference of 5 pH units translates to a 10^5 times (or 100,000 times) increase in hydrogen-ion concentration in the pH 4 solution compared to the pH 9 solution. The pH scale is logarithmic, with each unit representing a tenfold change, so a 5-unit difference results in a 100,000-fold difference in hydrogen-ion concentration. Hence, option B, 100,000, is the correct answer.