Question

Trisodium phosphate (TSP) is an effective grease remover. Like many cleaners, TSP acts as a base in water. Write a balanced equation to account for this basic behavior.

Short answer

The balanced equation that accounts for the basic behavior of Trisodium Phosphate (TSP) in water is: \( Na_{3}PO_{4} (s) + H_{2}O (l) \rightarrow 3 Na^{+} (aq) + HPO_{4}^{2-} (aq) + OH^{-} (aq) \)

Step-by-step solution

Write the formula for trisodium phosphate

Trisodium phosphate (TSP) has the chemical formula Na3PO4.

Dissociation of trisodium phosphate in water

When trisodium phosphate dissolves in water, it dissociates into sodium ions (Na+) and phosphate ions (PO4^3-). We can write the dissociation equation as: Na3PO4 (s) -> 3 Na+ (aq) + PO4^3- (aq)

Basic behavior of trisodium phosphate

The basic behavior of TSP comes from the phosphate ion (PO4^3-), which can act as a Brønsted-Lowry base by accepting hydrogen ions (H+) from water (acting as an acid). The reaction can be written as: PO4^3- (aq) + H2O (l) -> HPO4^2- (aq) + OH- (aq)

Balanced equation for the basic behavior of trisodium phosphate

The balanced equation that accounts for the basic behavior of TSP can be obtained by combining the dissociation equation (Step 2) and the basic behavior equation (Step 3). Na3PO4 (s) -> 3 Na+ (aq) + PO4^3- (aq) PO4^3- (aq) + H2O (l) -> HPO4^2- (aq) + OH- (aq) Therefore, the balanced equation is: Na3PO4 (s) + H2O (l) -> 3 Na+ (aq) + HPO4^2- (aq) + OH- (aq)