On the Influence of Salt Ions on the pH of Aqueous Solutions of Acetic Acid and Ammonia

In this work, I analyzed the influence of various salt ions on the pH of aqueous solutions of acetic acid and ammonia. The results revealed a notable consistency in the effects of ions with a specific charge at one end of Sorensen's pH scale, compared to the influence of ions with the opposite charge at the other end. The data analysis demonstrated that the pH shift is primarily influenced by the electrostatic forces exerted by the ions and the concentration of ionic particles within the solution. Interestingly, this shift appeared to be independent of the degree of dissociation of either acetic acid or ammonia. These results led to a reinterpretation of electrolytic dissociation. Therefore, I propose a theory that explains the behavior of electrolytes in aqueous solutions based on three premises: (i) electrolyte molecules, once dissolved in water, fully dissociate; (ii) when the electrolyte contains H⁺ or OH⁻ ions, those species become part of the solvent and propagate throughout the entire solution; and (iii) the movement of these charged species (H⁺ or OH⁻) is significantly influenced by the electrostatic forces exerted by the ions in solution, as described by classical physics. This theory is consistent with the experimental observations and clarifies the unusual impact of the common ion. Furthermore, these considerations support the notion that water contains a persistent population of molecules resulting from its auto-dissociation, which propagates throughout the entire volume of the solution.