Which of the following is a strong Acid? HNO3, H3PO4, NH4, CO3(2-), H20
HNO3
To determine which of the following compounds is a strong acid, we need to understand the concept of acid strength. A strong acid is one that completely dissociates or ionizes in an aqueous solution, meaning that it breaks apart into its constituent ions.
Let's evaluate each compound:
1. HNO3 (nitric acid): This compound is a strong acid. When it dissolves in water, it completely ionizes, yielding H+ and NO3- ions.
2. H3PO4 (phosphoric acid): This compound is not a strong acid. It's a weak acid, meaning that only a small fraction of the compound dissociates into H+ and H2PO4- ions.
3. NH4 (ammonium): This compound is neither an acid nor a base. It is the ammonium ion, which is a positive ion.
4. CO3(2-) (carbonate ion): This is the carbonate ion, which acts as a base, not an acid.
5. H2O (water): While water can act as an acid or a base in certain reactions, it's considered a neutral compound overall.
Therefore, the strong acid among the given options is HNO3 (nitric acid), option A.