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Which compound will produce an acidic solution when dissolved in water?

  1. NaCl

  2. KOH

  3. HCl

  4. CH3OH

The correct answer is: HCl

HCl will produce an acidic solution because it is a strong acid that dissociates completely in water, producing H+ ions. NaCl, KOH, and CH3OH are all neutral compounds that do not produce H+ ions in solution, therefore they will not produce an acidic solution. NaCl and KOH are strong electrolytes that dissociate into ions in water, but they produce a neutral solution because they contain equal numbers of positive and negative ions. CH3OH is a covalent compound and does not dissociate in water, so it will not produce any ions and therefore not produce an acidic solution.