Can someone explain how to determine which substance is amphoteric? Here's the question:
Which of these substances is amphoteric, that is, it can act as a Brønsted acid and a Brønsted base?
BrO2^-
H3PO4
HBrO2
PO4^3-
H2PO4^-
Sapling HW #2 [ENDORSED]
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Re: Sapling HW #2
Hi! A substance can act as a Bronsted acid and Bronsted base if it has BOTH of the following: a H proton that it can donate (like an acid) and a negative charge so it can accept a H proton (like a base). Hope this helps!
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Re: Sapling HW #2
A Bronsted acid can donate H+, so there should be a Hydrogen in the formula. This leaves H3PO4, HBrO2, H2PO4^- to be possible answers. A Bronsted base can accept H+, which can be indicated by a negative charge as it allows the substance to accept an H+. Out of the 3 possible answers, H2PO4^- has a negative charge. Since it meets the descriptions of both Bronsted acid and Bronsted base, H2PO4^- is amphoteric.
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Re: Sapling HW #2 [ENDORSED]
SainehaMaddineni_2D wrote:A Bronsted acid can donate H+, so there should be a Hydrogen in the formula. This leaves H3PO4, HBrO2, H2PO4^- to be possible answers. A Bronsted base can accept H+, which can be indicated by a negative charge as it allows the substance to accept an H+. Out of the 3 possible answers, H2PO4^- has a negative charge. Since it meets the descriptions of both Bronsted acid and Bronsted base, H2PO4^- is amphoteric.
Thank you for this explanation, it makes so much more sense now :)
Re: Sapling HW #2
I was stuck on this one as well but you want to look for an H ion and a negative charge :)
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