Match Column-I (Different substances) with Column-II (pH values) and choose the correct option from the codes given below :
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To solve matching questions quickly, focus on the extremes first:
- Gastric juice is the most acidic (lowest pH \(\to\) 1.0 - 3.0).
- Blood is the only basic fluid listed (pH \(\to\) 7.3 - 7.5).
Using these two points helps eliminate incorrect options instantly.
Step 1: Rank the five items by how acidic they are, without worrying about exact numbers yet. Gastric juice contains strong hydrochloric acid, so it is the most acidic of the five, giving it the lowest pH. Tomato juice comes next because of its citric and malic acid content. Coffee is mildly acidic. Saliva sits close to neutral, and blood is the only one that is slightly basic. So from most acidic to least acidic, the order is gastric juice, tomato juice, coffee, saliva, blood. Step 2: Attach the actual pH ranges given in Column-II to this ranking. Reading the pH values from lowest to highest, pH 1 to 3 belongs to gastric juice, code 5, pH 4.0 to 4.4 belongs to tomato juice, code 4, pH 4.5 to 5.5 belongs to coffee, code 3, pH 6.5 to 7.5 belongs to saliva, code 2, and pH 7.3 to 7.5 belongs to blood, code 1. Step 3: Write out the Column-I to Column-II pairing in the original order. Tomato juice pairs with code 4, gastric juice pairs with code 5, blood pairs with code 1, saliva pairs with code 2, and coffee pairs with code 3. \[ \text{4, 5, 1, 2, 3} \] Step 4: Match this to the given codes. Reading the codes in this order gives the sequence (4) (5) (1) (2) (3), which is exactly option (C). \[ \boxed{(4)\ (5)\ (1)\ (2)\ (3)} \]
