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Topic: Prove/show that K(a1)=Kw/K(b3) for a triprotic acid?  (Read 3826 times)

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Offline SheffieldWednesday4ever

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Prove/show that K(a1)=Kw/K(b3) for a triprotic acid?
« on: December 06, 2010, 11:05:10 PM »
Hi, this is one of the questions I'm trying to figure out.

So far, I've written the dissociations:

H3A  ::equil:: H + H2A-  K(a1)
H2A-  ::equil:: H + HA-2 K(a2)
HA-2    ::equil:: H + A-3   K(a3)

I know Kb3 is just A-3 +H2O  ::equil:: HA-2 + OH-

which I'm stuck...

Should I bring the values to? Or just use the Products/reactants eqb?

Offline Borek

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Re: Prove/show that K(a1)=Kw/K(b3) for a triprotic acid?
« Reply #1 on: December 07, 2010, 05:02:29 AM »
Write definitions of both Ka1 and Kb3. Not reactions, but definitions of dissociation constants.
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Offline SheffieldWednesday4ever

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Re: Prove/show that K(a1)=Kw/K(b3) for a triprotic acid?
« Reply #2 on: December 08, 2010, 04:36:38 AM »
Thanks, but I've done that. So:

Ka1xKb3=([H][H2A]/[H3A])x([OH][HA]/[A])

So, somehow the H2A H3A HA and A must cancel to 1? Would this be done with a mass balance then? I still haven't gotten there.

Offline Borek

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Re: Prove/show that K(a1)=Kw/K(b3) for a triprotic acid?
« Reply #3 on: December 08, 2010, 05:36:55 AM »
Your Kb3 is wrong.
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Offline SheffieldWednesday4ever

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Re: Prove/show that K(a1)=Kw/K(b3) for a triprotic acid?
« Reply #4 on: December 08, 2010, 11:54:07 AM »
Thanks!

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