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Which of the following substances is amphiprotic in nature? A - HSC - SSCE Chemistry - Question 5 - 2017 - Paper 1
Question 5
Which of the following substances is amphiprotic in nature? A. HSO₄⁻ B. H₂SO₄ C. SO₄²⁻ D. H₂SO₃
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Which of the following substances is amphiprotic in nature? A - HSC - SSCE Chemistry - Question 5 - 2017 - Paper 1
Step 1
Identify amphiprotic substances
Answer
To determine which of the given substances is amphiprotic, recall that an amphiprotic substance can donate and accept a proton ( ext{H}^+). Therefore, we need to assess each option:
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HSO₄⁻ (Hydrogen sulfate): This ion can act as both an acid (donating ext{H}^+) to form SO₄²⁻ and as a base (accepting ext{H}^+) to form H₂SO₄. Hence, it is amphiprotic.
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H₂SO₄ (Sulfuric acid): This is a strong acid. It primarily donates protons and does not accept them. Therefore, it is not amphiprotic.
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SO₄²⁻ (Sulfate): This ion is the conjugate base of HSO₄⁻ and cannot accept protons. Thus, it is not amphiprotic.
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H₂SO₃ (Sulfurous acid): This acid can donate a proton but does not accept any to form a different species. Hence, it is also not amphiprotic.
From this analysis, the only amphiprotic substance is HSO₄⁻.