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Slaughterama
2008-12-06, 03:32
OK so I have this question in my Rx prediction homework that says this:
Equal numbers of moles of potassium hydroxide and phosphoric acid react.

What I got so far is: KOH + H3PO4 --> H2O + K3PO4
balanced it looks like: 3KOH + H3PO4 --> 3H2O + K3PO4
but I need the reactants to have equal numbers of moles
not asking for the answer, but can someone please explain to me how to do this?

RAOVQ
2008-12-06, 08:37
you can't have the hydroxide remove all three protons and still have 1:1 stoichiometry. the only way to do this is to assume that only one proton is removed, making H2KPO4.

Mantikore
2008-12-06, 11:21
^^ yeah thats what i would have thought

so we know acid +base will make a salt and water
and equal number of moles means the coefficient in front of the acid and base is going to be the same. since it has to make water,

KOH + H3PO4 --> H2O + H2KPO4

though i would think of it in terms of ions (which is what happens with these polar substances)

K+ + OH- + 3H+ + PO4- -> H2O + 2H+ + K+ +PO4-

or just

OH- + 3H+ -> H2O + 2H+

^^not sure exactly sure if this is a net ionic equation. im not specialised in this field, so im probably incorrect. but something along those lines