More likely acid or base

[samanthaywu]

Do amphoteric compounds have a tendency to exhibit acidic behaviors over basic behaviors depending on the compound? Or vice versa? Does this involve the equilibrium constants K1 and K2?

[Gwendolyn Hill 2F]

Amphoteric compounds will react to their environments accordingly, like you guessed. For HCO3-, for example, it can turn into CO3(2-) or H2CO3, depending on the balance of the pH of the solution it is in. If HCO3- is combined with an acid, it would act like a base.

[Griffin G]

Amphoteric compounds rely on their environment. So, if there is a more common environment for a chemical to exist in then yes it can be considered to most likely act basic or acidic.

[Adam_ElSayed_3B]

Yep! Depending on what H2O is around, it might act as an acid or a base. I imagine that this applies to the environment around it on a greater scale.

[Nicole Bruno Dis 1B]

I don't think it necessarily depends on the compound itself, but rather the solutions it may be immersed in.