Question

Define basicity of an acid. Give an example each for monobasic, dibasic and tribasic acids.

Short answer

Question: What is the basicity of an acid and provide examples of monobasic, dibasic, and tribasic acids. Answer: The basicity of an acid is the number of hydrogen ions (H+) it can donate during a reaction with a base. Examples of acids based on basicity include: monobasic acids such as Hydrochloric acid (HCl) which can donate one hydrogen ion, dibasic acids such as Sulfuric acid (H2SO4) which can donate two hydrogen ions, and tribasic acids like Phosphoric acid (H3PO4) which can donate three hydrogen ions.

Step-by-step solution

Definition of basicity

Basicity of an acid refers to the number of hydrogen ions (H+) that can be replaced by a base or donated by the acid during a reaction. It basically tells us how many hydrogens can be released by an acid when it reacts with a base.

Monobasic Acids

Monobasic acids are acids that can donate only one hydrogen ion (H+) per molecule during a reaction. For example, Hydrochloric acid (HCl) is a monobasic acid. In a reaction with a base, it donates one hydrogen ion: HCl → H+ + Cl-

Dibasic Acids

Dibasic acids are acids that can donate two hydrogen ions (H+) per molecule during a reaction. For example, Sulfuric acid (H2SO4) is a dibasic acid. In a reaction with a base, it can donate two hydrogen ions: H2SO4 → 2H+ + SO4^2-

Tribasic Acids

Tribasic acids are acids that can donate three hydrogen ions (H+) per molecule during a reaction. For example, Phosphoric acid (H3PO4) is a tribasic acid. In a reaction with a base, it can donate three hydrogen ions: H3PO4 → 3H+ + PO4^3- In summary, the basicity of an acid is determined by the number of hydrogen ions it can donate during a reaction with a base. Monobasic acids can donate one hydrogen ion, dibasic acids can donate two hydrogen ions, and tribasic acids can donate three hydrogen ions.