Acids - Dissociation
Strong acids
- A strong acid is an acid that dissociates almost completely in aqueous solutions
- HCl (hydrochloric acid), HNO3 (nitric acid) and H2SO4 (sulfuric acid)
- The position of the equilibrium is so far over to the right that you can represent the reaction as an irreversible reaction
The diagram shows the complete dissociation of a strong acid in aqueous solution
Weak acids
- A weak acid is an acid that partially (or incompletely) dissociates in aqueous solutions
- Eg. most organic acids (ethanoic acid), HCN (hydrocyanic acid), H2S (hydrogen sulfide) and H2CO3 (carbonic acid)
- The position of the equilibrium is more over to the left and an equilibrium is established
The diagram shows the partial dissociation of a weak acid in aqueous solution