Question

Write a chemical equation showing how this is an acid according to the arrhenius definition. express your answer as a balanced chemical equation. identify all of the phases in your answer.h2so4

Answer 1

According to Arrhenius theory, acid is a substance that releases H⁺ ions when dissolved in water.

In order to apply this theory, the substance must be soluble in water.

H₂SO₄ is highly soluble in water. It undergoes following dissociation reaction when dissolved in water.

$H_{2}SO_{4}(aq)\overset{H_{2}O}{\rightarrow} 2H^{+}(aq)+ SO_{4}^{2-}(aq)$

From the above equation, we can see that H₂SO₄ forms 2 H⁺ ions when dissolved in water. Therefore it behaves as an acid according to Arrhenius theory.