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Chapter 16: Problem 28

\(\mathrm{H}_{2} \mathrm{SO}_{4}\) is a strong acid, but \(\mathrm{HSO}_{4}^{-}\) is a weak acid. Account for the difference in strength of these two related species.

Short Answer

Expert verified
H2SO4 is a strong acid as it completely dissociates in solution, releasing two protons. However, HSO4-, formed after the first dissociation of sulfuric acid, is a weak acid because further dissociation of HSO4- is less favorable due to the resulting ion (SO4^2-) having a higher negative charge, which is less stable.

Step by step solution

01

Understand Acid and Conjugate Base

Acids are substances that donate protons, while their conjugate bases are the substances that form after an acid has donated a proton. In this case, H2SO4 is a strong acid, which means it completely ionizes/dissociates in water, donating two protons (H+) and forming a sulfate ion (SO4^2-). The first dissociation step of H2SO4 is H2SO4 => H+ + HSO4-, resulting in HSO4-.
02

Understand Weak Acids

A weak acid does not completely ionize or dissociate in a solution, which means it still holds onto some of its protons. In this case, HSO4- is a weak acid. It can donate a proton (H+), but doing so is harder because the species is already negatively charged. When it does, it forms the sulfate ion: HSO4- => H+ + SO4^2-.
03

Compare Acid Strength

The difference in acid strength can be accounted for by comparing the stability of these acids and their conjugate bases. Sulfuric acid is a strong acid because it's stable; once it has lost a proton, the resulting HSO4- ion is also stable. On the other hand, HSO4- is a weak acid because removing another proton to create sulfate (SO4^2-) creates a species with a high negative charge, which destabilizes the ion.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

The ion-product constant for water is \(1.0 \times 10^{-14}\) at \(25^{\circ} \mathrm{C}\) and \(3.8 \times 10^{-14}\) at \(40^{\circ} \mathrm{C}\). Is the process $$\mathrm{H}_{2} \mathrm{O}(l) \rightleftharpoons \mathrm{H}^{+}(a q)+\mathrm{OH}^{-}(a q)$$ endothermic or exothermic?

Which of the following is a stronger base: \(\mathrm{NH}_{3}\) or \(\mathrm{PH}_{3}\) ? (Hint: The \(\mathrm{N}-\mathrm{H}\) bond is stronger than the \(\mathrm{P}-\mathrm{H}\) bond. \()\)

Fill in the word "acidic," "basic," or "neutral" for these solutions: (a) \(\mathrm{pOH}>7\); solution is _____. (b) \(\mathrm{pOH}=7\); solution is _____. (c) \(\mathrm{pOH}<7\); solution is _____.

A typical reaction between an antacid and the hydrochloric acid in gastric juice is \(\mathrm{NaHCO}_{3}(a q)+\mathrm{HCl}(a q) \longrightarrow\) $$\mathrm{NaCl}(a q)+\mathrm{H}_{2} \mathrm{O}(l)+\mathrm{CO}_{2}(g)$$ Calculate the volume (in liters) of \(\mathrm{CO}_{2}\) generated from \(0.350 \mathrm{~g}\) of \(\mathrm{NaHCO}_{3}\) and excess gastric juice at \(1.00 \mathrm{~atm}\) and \(37.0^{\circ} \mathrm{C}\).

Calculate the number of moles of \(\mathrm{KOH}\) in \(5.50 \mathrm{~mL}\) of a \(0.360 \mathrm{M}\) KOH solution. What is the \(\mathrm{pOH}\) of the solution?
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