Inorganic reactions
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I’m confused! Are all acids in acid base reactions monobasic? If not, how many moles of sulphuric acid are needed to neutralise 1 mole of anhydrous sodium carbonate? If you could help, it would be great. Thanks.
Igloo replies ...
No, not all acids are monobasic, though some simple ones such as HCl, HNO3 and CH3COOH are.
There are several well known dibasic acids, e.g. H2SO4, HOOC.COOH (ethanedioic acid) and there is a well known tribasic acid, H3PO4 (phosphoric(V) acid)
It may well be that when carrying out titrations so far you have only been given monobasic acids to use, since the equation balancing and calculation are usually easier to handle!
The example you have given me involves sulphuric acid – a dibasic acid:
Na2CO3 + H2SO4 -> Na2SO4 + H2O + CO2
In this reaction you can see that both hydrogen atoms in the acid have been replaced.
More accurately this reaction is an ionic one involving the reaction between carbonate and hydrogen ions:
CO32- + 2H+ -> H2O + CO2
The sodium and sulphate are classified as spectator ions.
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updated: 03 February 2006
