Phosphoric acid (H3PO4) is composed of which of the following ions?
H+, PO43-
Phosphoric acid has the formula H3PO4. When it dissociates, it releases hydrogen ions, each carrying a single positive charge, written as H+. The remaining part is the phosphate ion, PO43-, which carries three negative charges.
The charges must balance: three H+ ions supply a total charge of +3, which exactly cancels the -3 charge of one PO43- ion, giving the neutral molecule H3PO4.
Therefore, phosphoric acid is composed of H+ and PO43- ions.
H2+ is not a correct hydrogen ion, since a hydrogen ion is simply H+. PO44- and PO42- are wrong charges for the phosphate ion; the phosphate group correctly carries a 3- charge, so only H+ with PO43- gives a balanced, electrically neutral formula.
Important Questions from Chemical Bond and Molecular Structure
- Which one of the following is a covalent compound?
Which one of the following is the correct molecular formula of ammonium carbonate if the valency of ammonium ion is (+1) and carbonate anion is (-2)?
Which one of the following statements is correct?
Which one of the following is the chemical formula of gypsum?
Which one of the following statements about water is not true ?
