is H2S2O7 or H2SO4 a stronger acid?
What do you define as strong or stronger? I think both are about the same ionizing property, which at the 100% purity, is not high for H2SO4 or H2S2O7. Fuming H2SO4 (H2S2O7) generally is more corrosive because it contains SO3 gas.
I need help in this too :( are you in inorganic chem by any chance?
To determine which compound, H2S2O7 (pyrosulfuric acid) or H2SO4 (sulfuric acid), is a stronger acid, we need to examine their chemical structures and properties.
Sulfuric acid (H2SO4) is a well-known strong acid. It has two ionizable hydrogen atoms that can dissociate in water, releasing H+ ions. The dissociation of sulfuric acid occurs as follows: H2SO4 → H+ + HSO4-
On the other hand, pyrosulfuric acid (H2S2O7) is also known as fuming sulfuric acid. It is a highly reactive and strong acid, often used as a dehydrating agent. When H2S2O7 is dissolved in water, it dissociates as follows: H2S2O7 → 2H+ + S2O7^2-
Both compounds release H+ ions when dissociating, which contribute to their acidity. However, H2S2O7 has two H+ ions per molecule, while H2SO4 has only one. This means that H2S2O7 theoretically has the potential to release more H+ ions and is thus considered to be a stronger acid than H2SO4.
To summarize, H2S2O7 (pyrosulfuric acid) is generally considered a stronger acid than H2SO4 (sulfuric acid) due to its ability to release two H+ ions when dissolved in water.