Following is a question that was sent to me recently by a local students.
This is a question based on the Properties of Acids and is getting popular in many of the Preliminary Exams in local Top Secondary Schools.
Quick Check 1:
Sulfuric acid is a dibasic acid because:
A. each molecule contain 2 hydroxide ions
B. each molecule can produce 2 hydrogen ions
C. one mole of the acid contains two atoms of hydrogen that can be replaced by a metal
D. sulphuric acid can only be neutralized by 2 bases
E. sulphuric acid has the usual properties of an acid, but is also a dehydrating agent
Try working out the question before checking the answer and reasoning below.
Answer to this Multiple Choice Question is (B). =)
Who got the correct answer???
Reasoning:
An acid is defined as a compound, which produces hydrogen ions (H+) as the only +ve ions when dissolved in water.
Basicity of an acid refers to the number of replaceable hydrogen atoms in one molecule of the acid.
Sulfuric acid (H2S04) is an example of Dibasic acid as one molecule of it contains 2 atoms of H and so every molecule of it forms 2H+ ions when dissolved in water. We say the BASICITY of Sulfuric Acid is 2.
Since we have Dibasic acid, we will also have Monobasic and Tribasic.
For Monobasic, we have HCl, HNO3, CH3COOH, etc. You get it????
For Tribasic, can you share with us an example you can think of???