Which common characteristic of hydrochloric acid and sodium hydroxide solutions explains both their abilities to change the pH of water and conduct electricity?
Both produce ions in aqueous solution
Both HCl and NaOH are strong electrolytes that dissociate almost completely in water. HCl releases H⁺ (as H₃O⁺) and Cl⁻ ions, while NaOH releases Na⁺ and OH⁻ ions.
Free H⁺ ions lower the pH below 7 and free OH⁻ ions raise the pH above 7, so the production of ions explains why both solutions change the pH of pure water. The same mobile ions carry charge through the solution, which is why both conduct electricity.
NaOH is a base, so it does not have pH less than 7, does not turn blue litmus red, and is not a strong acid. The one feature common to both is ion formation in water. Hence, the correct answer is Both produce ions in aqueous solution.
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