Calculate x + y + z for H3PO3 acid, where x is number of lone pairs, y is number of -bonds and z is β p Block Elements Chemistry Question
Question
Calculate x + y + z for H3PO3 acid, where x is number of lone pairs, y is number of $\sigma$-bonds and z is number of $\pi$-bonds :
π‘ Solution & Explanation
Step 1: Water (H2O) is neutral with a very low dissociation constant (Kw = 10^-14). Step 2: Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is slightly more acidic than water (Ka β 1.5 x 10^-12) due to the electron-withdrawing effect of the peroxide oxygen. Carbon dioxide (CO2) dissolves in water to form carbonic acid (H2CO3), which is a weak mineral acid with a much higher acidity (Ka1 β 4.3 x 10^-7). Step 3: Therefore, the correct increasing order of acidity is H2O < H2O2 < CO2, which corresponds to option (b).