To find the percent ionization of a weak acid, we need to use the acid dissociation constant (Ka) and the initial concentration of the acid solution.
The equation for the ionization of a weak acid, denoted as HA, can be written as follows:
HA ⇌ H+ + A-
The Ka expression for this reaction is given as:
Ka = [H+][A-]/[HA]
In this case, the Ka value is given as 3.29 × 10-3, and the initial concentration of the acid solution (HA) is 0.176 M.
Let's denote the degree of ionization as "x". This means that [H+] = x and [A-] = x, and [HA] = (0.176 - x).
Plugging these values into the Ka expression, we get:
3.29 × 10-3 = (x)(x)/(0.176 - x)
Now, we need to solve this equation for x using algebraic methods or by using a quadratic solver.
Once we find the value of x, we can calculate the percent ionization using the following formula:
Percent ionization = (x/[HA]) × 100
Substituting the values we obtained, we can find the percent ionization of the weak acid in the given solution.