Question

Write the general chemical formula for an acid, and discuss what each component of the formula represents.

Answer 1

The general formula of an acid is HX where H+ acts as the cation while X can be a halogen (Cl-, Fl-, Br-, etc) and acts as the anion. There are also cases where X is an ion like SO42-, which brings two atoms of H in the formula. Strong acids dissociate completely while weak acids do not.

Answer 2

Answer: The general chemical formula for an acid is given below.

Explanation:

Acids are defined as the chemical species which donate hydrogen ions when dissolved in water.

The general chemical formula for an acid follows:

$HA(aq.)\rightarrow H^+(aq.)+A^-(aq.)$

where,

$H^+$ is the cationic part and is named as hydrogen ions

$A^-$ is the anionic part.

The nomenclature of the acids that are derived from the anions attached to hydrogen ion:

• If the name of the anion attached ends with -ate, then the prefix of the acid is -ic. For Example: $H_3PO_4$, the anion is phosphate and the name of the acid is phosphoric acid.
• If the name of the anion attached ends with -ite, then the prefix of the acid is -ous. For Example: $H_2SO_3$, the anion is sulfite and the name of the acid is sulfurous acid.
• If the name of the anion attached ends with -ide, then the prefix of the acid is -ic. For Example: HCl, the anion is chloride and the name of the acid is hydrochloric acid.

Hence, the general chemical formula for an acid is given above.