Basic Solutions

[silveryhair]

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Which gives the most basic solution when dissolved in water?

H2PO4- or PO42-? Thanks!

 

[casper22]

If i remember the trend correctly from CHAD notes, it will H2PO4...

Someone please correct me if I am wrong...

 

[UndergradGuy7]

Do you mean PO4^3-?
I say PO4^3-.

H3PO4 is an acid. H2PO4 can act as an acid or base, but not too strong at either. PO4^3- is only a base.

base + h2o -> OH- + H-Base

 

[casper22]

Oops my bad...thanks for correcting...

 

[scottkennedy29]

There always seems to be questions of this nature on practice tests. So my question is, how do we approach this kind of question?

A strong base will ionize completely to produce the hydroxide ion right? And bases accept electrons.

So the way i looked at it is that H2PO4- reacting with water would most likely yield HPO42- and the hydronium ion, H3O+. Rather than accepting one hydrogen from water and yielding H3PO4.

So I would think that PO43- would react with water to yield HPO42- and OH-. Obviously this would yield the most basic solution what with the OH- production.

Is this the right way to look at this type of question or am i way off?

 

[scottkennedy29]

bump