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Sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄) and nitric acid (HNO₃) are both strong acids - VCE - SSCE Chemistry - Question 5 - 2006 - Paper 1
Question 5
Sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄) and nitric acid (HNO₃) are both strong acids. Ethanoic acid (CH₃COOH) is a weak acid. 20.00 mL solutions of 0.10 M concentration of each of the... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄) and nitric acid (HNO₃) are both strong acids - VCE - SSCE Chemistry - Question 5 - 2006 - Paper 1
Step 1
B. HNO₃ would require more NaOH than CH₃COOH but less than H₂SO₄.
Answer
In this titration, the strong acids (H₂SO₄ and HNO₃) will fully dissociate in solution, while the weak acid (CH₃COOH) will not. Due to this dissociation, H₂SO₄ will require more moles of NaOH because it provides two protons (H⁺) for reaction. HNO₃, being a strong acid, will provide one proton but is expected to require more NaOH than CH₃COOH, which only partially dissociates, necessitating less NaOH to reach neutralization.
Step 2
D. CH₃COOH and HNO₃ would require the same amount of NaOH but H₂SO₄ would require more.
Answer
Since HNO₃ is a strong acid, it will completely dissociate and react with NaOH. CH₃COOH as a weak acid will result in less NaOH being required compared to H₂SO₄, which will demand a greater volume due to its diprotic nature. Therefore, while CH₃COOH and HNO₃ will react with different amounts of NaOH, H₂SO₄ will always require more.