Q. Show the Ionization of Acids in Water?
Ans.
Like ionic compounds, acids are electrolytes. When dissolved in water, acids break down into ions. Ionization refers to the formation of ions from molecules. For example, the ionization of an acid HA in water can be expressed as:
HA -> H+ + A-
The following animation illustrates the differences between a strong acid and a weak acid:
Acids are classified as strong or weak depending on whether they are fully or partially ionized in solution. In general, strong acids break up, or dissolve, completely in water to form H+ and A- ions. On the other hand, weak acids do not significantly dissolve in water, and remain intact as HA molecules.