Is there a way to tell if a compound is amphoteric just by looking at it? Or should we be memorizing the common ones?
Thank you.
How to figure out if a compound is Amphoteric
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Re: How to figure out if a compound is Amphoteric
Hi! I'm guessing this question is related to Question 2 on HW Week 10? In order for the compound to act as a Bronsted acid, it must have an H+ to donate. In order for it to act as a Bronsted base, it must have a negative charge so it can accept H+. H2PO4- is amphoteric because it has H+ to donate and a negative charge.
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Re: How to figure out if a compound is Amphoteric
A good way to tell if a compound is amphoteric is to see if it has an H because it must be able to donate or accept an H+.
Re: How to figure out if a compound is Amphoteric
Hello! In order to tell if a compound is Amphoteric I would look to see if the compound has an H. This is important since Bronsted bases need to accept protons while Bronsted acids need to be able to donate a proton! I linked a visual I found online down below! I hope this helps!
https://chem.libretexts.org/@api/deki/f ... revision=1
https://chem.libretexts.org/@api/deki/f ... revision=1
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Re: How to figure out if a compound is Amphoteric
You would look at the molecule and see if it is capable of donating a proton and accepting a proton.
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