Suppose the pH of a solution decreases by 8 . How does the hydrogen ion concentration change? The new hydrogen ion concentration is \( 10^{8} \) times the initial concentration. (Use scientific notation. Use the multiplication symbol in the math palette as needed.) Does the change make the solution more acidic or more basic? The solution is more because the pH has gone

When the pH of a solution decreases by 8, the hydrogen ion concentration increases significantly since the pH scale is logarithmic. For each unit decrease in pH, the hydrogen ion concentration increases tenfold. Thus, a decrease of 8 pH units corresponds to an increase in hydrogen ions by a factor of \( 10^8 \), meaning the new hydrogen ion concentration is \( 10^{8} \) times greater than the initial concentration. The solution becomes more acidic because a decrease in pH indicates an increase in the concentration of hydrogen ions (H⁺). The lower the pH, the more acidic the solution is; hence, this significant drop of 8 units confirms that the solution is indeed more acidic.