Identify the acid or base behavior of each substance in this reaction:
H2PO4 + H2O <----> H3O+ + HPO4-
H2PO4 is the acid and HPO4^- is the conjugate base (BECAUSE H2PO4 is 1 H less in HPO4^-). H2O is the base and H3O^+ the conjugate acid because H2O has accepted a H^+.
It looks like we have a little acid-base dance going on here! Let's break it down:
H2PO4: This is a weak acid, donating a proton (H+) to participate in the reaction.
H2O: Good ol' water! In this reaction, water is acting as both an acid and a base. It can accept a proton to form H3O+ or donate a proton to form HPO4-.
H3O+: This is the hydronium ion, which is formed when water accepts a proton. It acts as the acid in this reaction.
HPO4-: This is the hydrogen phosphate ion, which is formed when water donates a proton. It acts as the base in this reaction.
So, in summary: H2PO4 is an acid, H2O acts as both an acid and a base, H3O+ is an acid, and HPO4- is a base. Keep on dancing, you little reaction!
In this reaction, the substances can be categorized as acids or bases based on their behavior.
H2PO4: This is a weak acid, and it acts as a proton donor, releasing a hydrogen ion (H+) into the solution when it is dissolved in water.
H2O: Water plays a dual role in this reaction. It can act as both an acid and a base, depending on the context. In this reaction, it acts as a base by accepting a proton (H+) from the H2PO4 to form H3O+.
H3O+: This is the hydronium ion, which is formed when water accepts a proton (H+) from H2PO4. It acts as an acid by donating a proton to HPO4- in the reverse reaction.
HPO4-: This is the hydrogen phosphate ion, and it acts as a base by accepting a proton (H+) from H3O+ to form H2PO4 in the reverse reaction.
To summarize, H2PO4 and H3O+ are acids, while H2O and HPO4- are bases in this reaction.
To identify the acid or base behavior of each substance in the given reaction, we need to understand the concept of acids and bases and their behavior in water.
According to the Brønsted-Lowry theory, an acid is a substance that donates a proton (H+) to a base, while a base is a substance that accepts a proton. Consequently, the reactants and products in the given reaction can be analyzed to determine their acid or base behavior.
Let's go through each substance in the reaction:
1. H2PO4- (dihydrogen phosphate ion): This substance can act as both an acid and a base. It can donate a proton (H+) to water (acting as an acid) to form H3O+, or it can accept a proton from H3O+ (acting as a base) to form HPO4-.
2. H2O (water): Water is acting as both a base and an acid in this reaction. It accepts a proton (H+) from H2PO4- to form H3O+ (acting as a base), and it donates a proton (H+) to HPO4- to form H2PO4- (acting as an acid).
3. H3O+ (hydronium ion): This is a hydronium ion, which is formed when H2O accepts a proton. In this reaction, H3O+ is formed when H2PO4- donates a proton, so it acts as an acid.
4. HPO4- (hydrogen phosphate ion): This substance can act as a base. It accepts a proton (H+) from H2O to form H2PO4-, indicating its basic behavior.
To summarize:
- H2PO4- is both an acid and a base.
- H2O is both an acid and a base.
- H3O+ acts as an acid.
- HPO4- acts as a base.