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.
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