Is H3P04 classified as a weak or strong acid or base? Explain.

Is 𝐻3𝑃𝑂4 classified as a weak or strong acid or base? Explain.

Answer:

Phosphoric acid which has the chemical formula H3PO4 is one of the most acknowledged weak acids.

Phosphoric acid can also be categorized as a weak acid since the aqueous solutions which contain it do not release all of the hydrogen ions. While fully ionized with water as strong acids, H3PO4 partially ionizes and only characteristically releases protons (H+ ions) stepwisely. This partial dissociation is a little bit different from the full dissociation because it does not have very high acid dissociation constants that are represented by ‘Ka’ values. Phosphoric acid has three steps of ionization and the first one of it is relatively the strongest, yet, it cannot be termed as strong acid. This leads to a situation where the solution consists of undissociated H3PO4 and several ions (H2PO4-, HPO42-, and PO43-) in the solution. This characteristic of phosphoric acid makes it less corrosive and reactive than other strong acids and determines how it behaves in most chemical processes as well as the uses it has in areas like the food industry and metal surface treatment.