Comment on the electrical neutrality of strong acids. What is the equilibrium that defines the strength of an acid?

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Comment on the electrical neutrality of strong acids. What is the equilibrium that defines the strength of an acid?

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Answer 1 · 2017-01-22T03:21:42

All bulk materials are electrically neutral............

Explanation:

The parent acids, $H X$ $HX$ , $H N O_{3}$ $HNO_3$ , $H C l O_{4}$ $HClO_4$ , $H_{2} S O_{4}$ $H_2SO_4$ , $H O A c$ $HOAc$ ............are all neutral entities. Of course in aqueous solution (and most of them are supplied as aqueous solutions), the following equilibrium occurs:

$H X (a q) + H_{2} O (l) ⇌ H_{3} O^{+} + X^{-}$ $HX(aq) + H_2O(l) rightleftharpoonsH_3O^(+) + X^-$

For stronger acids, the equilibrium lies to the RIGHT; for weaker acids the equilibrium lies to the LEFT as we face the page. The $hydronium ion$ $"hydronium ion"$ , $H_{3} O^{+}$ $H_3O^+$ , is conceived to be the $acidium species$ $"acidium species"$ in solution, a cluster of water molecules with an EXTRA $H^{+}$ $H^+$ , i.e. $H_{7} O_{3}^{+}$ $H_7O_3^+$ , or $H_{9} O_{4}^{+}$ $H_9O_4^+$ ; the extra $H^{+}$ $H^+$ moves, or tunnels if you like as does a ball in a rugby maul. We write $H^{+}$ $H^+$ or $H_{3} O^{+}$ $H_3O^+$ for convenience. Of course, with this positively charged species, there is a correpsonding negatively charged species, an anion.

There are other solvent systems we could use, but water is clearly the most convenient.

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Comment on the electrical neutrality of strong acids. What is the equilibrium that defines the strength of an acid?

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