Question

250. Definition (produces hydronium ions on dissolution in water)

(b) Sulphuric acid ${\mathrm{H}}_2{\mathrm{SO}}_4+{\mathrm{H}}_2\mathrm{O}\to$

Answer 1

• When an acid is added to water, it will dissociate into its ions and produce ${\mathrm{H}}^{+}$ions.
• The ${\mathrm{H}}^{+}$ ions combine with water and form hydronium ions $\left({\mathrm{H}}_3{\mathrm{O}}^{+}\right)$
• Sulphuric acid on hydrolysis produces ${\mathrm{H}}_3{\mathrm{O}}^{+}$ ions and sulphate $\left({\mathrm{SO}}_4^{2-}\right)$ions.
• The chemical equation for the given reaction is as follows

$\underset{\mathrm{Sulphuric}\mathrm{acid}}{{\mathrm{H}}_2{\mathrm{SO}}_4\left(\mathrm{aq}\right)}+\underset{\mathrm{Water}}{{\mathrm{H}}_2\mathrm{O}\left(\mathrm{l}\right)}\underset{\mathrm{Hydronium}\mathrm{ion}}{\to {\mathrm{H}}_3{\mathrm{O}}^{+}\left(\mathrm{aq}\right)}+\underset{\mathrm{Sulphate}\mathrm{ion}}{{\mathrm{SO}}_4^{2-}\left(\mathrm{aq}\right)}$