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So obviously the pH of the solution would be 10, which is basic on the scale. But isn't adding hydronium ions to a neutral solution that is water fundamentally acidic.

Or is it that water itself has a concentration of 1e-7 hydronium ions at any given point making any addition of hydronium ions tip the scale to acidic?

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    $\begingroup$ Does this answer your question? Calculating the pH of a highly dilute solution of HCl $\endgroup$ Jul 3, 2021 at 2:50
  • $\begingroup$ Are you asking about a solution which actually has $\ce{[H+]} = \pu{10^{-10} mol dm^{-3}}$, or are you asking about one where $\pu{10^{-10} mol dm^{-3}}$ of $\ce{H+}$ has been added to water? $\endgroup$ Jul 3, 2021 at 12:40

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Obviously, we have to take account of the concentration of hydronium ion released from water.
Water releases 10-7 ions and the other substance used in the given problem produces 10-10 H+ ions. So total concentration is 10-7 + 10-10.
Taking negative log of the stuffs, we get the result pH = 6.999956
The result shows that since the substance is very dilute, it hardly could make a major change in the pH. But never the less, keeping true to its nature, it made the solution only a slightly acidic (<7). Remember, it's never possible to create a basic solution by just adding H+ ions to water..!

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