Is sulfuric acid ionic or covalent?
Concentrated H2SO4 (98% or better H2SO4) is essentially covalent.If water is present, the H2SO4 reacts with water to form the H3O^+ and SO4^-2 and it is quite ionic.
To determine whether sulfuric acid (H2SO4) is ionic or covalent, we need to examine the atoms and their bond types within the molecule.
Sulfuric acid consists of two hydrogen atoms (H), one sulfur atom (S), and four oxygen atoms (O).
The hydrogen and sulfur atoms form a covalent bond, which means they share electrons. Each hydrogen atom shares one electron with the sulfur atom, forming two covalent bonds.
The sulfur and oxygen atoms then form covalent bonds as well. The sulfur atom shares electrons with each of the four oxygen atoms, forming four covalent bonds.
In summary, sulfuric acid is a covalent compound because it is made up of atoms that are bonded through the sharing of electrons.
To determine the bond type of a compound, it is helpful to understand the difference between ionic and covalent bonds:
- Ionic bonds occur when there is a transfer of electrons from one atom to another, resulting in the formation of ions with opposite charges.
- Covalent bonds occur when atoms share electrons to achieve a stable electron configuration.
By analyzing the bonding behavior of the atoms in sulfuric acid, we can conclude that it is a covalent compound.