IChO 2001 · Theory problem 2

Phosphoric Acid

Phosphoric acid is of a great importance in fertilizer industry. Besides, phosphoric acid and its various salts have a n umber of applications in metal treatment, food, detergent and toothpaste industries.

2.1 The pK values of the three successive dissociations of phosphoric acid at 25 °C are:

\[ pK_{1a}=2.12 \]

\[ pK_{2a}=7.21 \]

\[ pK_{3a}=12.32 \]

Write down the conjugate base of dihydrogen phosphate ion and determine its \(pK_b\) value.

Small quantities of phosphoric acid are extensively used to impart the sour or tart taste to many soft drinks such as colas and root beers. A cola having a density of \(1.00\ \mathrm{g\,cm^{-3}}\) contains 0.05 % by weight of phosphoric acid.

2.2 Determine the pH of the cola (ignoring the second and the third dissociation steps for phosphoric acid). Assume that the acidity of the cola arises only from phosphoric acid.

2.3 Phosphoric acid is used as a fertiliser for agriculture. \(1.00\times10^{-3}\ \mathrm{M}\) phosphoric acid is added to an aqueous soil suspension and the pH is found to be 7.00.

Determine the fractional concentrations of all the different phosphate species present in the solution. Assume that no component of the soil interacts with any phosphate species.

2.4 Zinc is an essential micronutrient for plant growth. Plant can absorb zinc in water soluble form only. In a given soil water with \(pH=7.0\), zinc phosphate was found to be the only source of zinc and phosphate. Calculate the concentration of \([\ce{Zn^2+}]\) and \([\ce{PO4^3-}]\) ions in the solution. \(K_{\mathrm{sp}}\) for zinc phosphate is \(9.1\times10^{-33}\).

Official English text of the problem.

Answers

  • 2.1: The conjugate base is the hydrogen phosphate ion, \(\ce{HPO4^2-}\), SMILES O=P([O-])([O-])O. \[ \boxed{pK_b=6.79} \]

  • 2.2: \[ \boxed{\mathrm{pH}\approx2.46} \]

  • 2.3: With \(C_T\) the total concentration of dissolved phosphate, the dimensionless fractions are:

Species SMILES Fraction, \([\text{species}]/C_T\)
Phosphoric acid, \(\ce{H3PO4}\) O=P(O)(O)O \(8.15\times10^{-6}\)
Dihydrogen phosphate ion, \(\ce{H2PO4^-}\) O=P([O-])(O)O \(0.618578\approx0.619\)
Hydrogen phosphate ion, \(\ce{HPO4^2-}\) O=P([O-])([O-])O \(0.381412\approx0.381\)
Phosphate ion, \(\ce{PO4^3-}\) O=P([O-])([O-])[O-] \(1.83\times10^{-6}\)
  • 2.4: For zinc(II) ion, \(\ce{Zn^2+}\), SMILES [Zn+2], and phosphate ion: \[ \boxed{[\ce{Zn^2+}]=9.1\times10^{-5}\ \mathrm{mol\,L^{-1}}} \] \[ \boxed{[\ce{PO4^3-}]=1.1\times10^{-10}\ \mathrm{mol\,L^{-1}}} \]

Solution

Use concentrations in place of activities and \(pK_w=14.00\) at \(25\,^\circ\mathrm C\). The additional species appearing in the equilibria are water, \(\ce{H2O}\), SMILES O; hydronium ion, \(\ce{H3O+}\), SMILES [OH3+]; and hydroxide ion, \(\ce{OH^-}\), SMILES [OH-].

The phosphate SMILES above represent particular Lewis structures; they do not depict resonance delocalization.

2.1

A conjugate base is formed by removing one proton. Thus dihydrogen phosphate gives hydrogen phosphate:

\[ \ce{H2PO4^- + H2O <=> HPO4^2- + H3O+}. \]

This is the second dissociation of phosphoric acid, so its acid constant is \(K_{2a}\). The corresponding base reaction is

\[ \ce{HPO4^2- + H2O <=> H2PO4^- + OH^-}. \]

For this conjugate acid–base pair,

\[ K_{2a}K_b=K_w, \]

and therefore

\[ \boxed{pK_b=pK_w-pK_{2a}=14.00-7.21=6.79}. \]

2.2

One litre of cola has mass

\[ m=(1000\ \mathrm{cm^3})(1.00\ \mathrm{g\,cm^{-3}}) =1000\ \mathrm g. \]

Its phosphoric acid content is

\[ m(\ce{H3PO4})=\frac{0.05}{100}(1000\ \mathrm g)=0.50\ \mathrm g. \]

Using \(M(\ce{H3PO4})=98.0\ \mathrm{g\,mol^{-1}}\), the analytical acid concentration is

\[ C=\frac{0.50\ \mathrm g} {(98.0\ \mathrm{g\,mol^{-1}})(1.00\ \mathrm L)} =5.102\times10^{-3}\ \mathrm{mol\,L^{-1}}. \]

Retaining only the first dissociation,

\[ \ce{H3PO4 + H2O <=> H3O+ + H2PO4^-}, \qquad K_{1a}=10^{-2.12}=7.586\times10^{-3}. \]

Let \(x=[\ce{H3O+}]\). Neglecting water’s contribution to this acidic solution,

\[ [\ce{H2PO4^-}]=x, \qquad [\ce{H3PO4}]=C-x. \]

Hence

\[ K_{1a}=\frac{x^2}{C-x}, \]

so

\[ x^2+K_{1a}x-K_{1a}C=0. \]

The positive root gives

\[ x= \frac{-K_{1a}+\sqrt{K_{1a}^{\,2}+4K_{1a}C}}{2} =3.493\times10^{-3}\ \mathrm{mol\,L^{-1}}. \]

Here \(x/C\approx0.685\), so the approximation \(C-x\approx C\) would be unsuitable. Thus

\[ \boxed{\mathrm{pH} =-\log_{10}(3.493\times10^{-3}) =2.46}. \]

2.3

The third dissociation, completing the equilibria already written above, is

\[ \ce{HPO4^2- + H2O <=> PO4^3- + H3O+}. \]

For brevity, write \(K_1=K_{1a}\), \(K_2=K_{2a}\), and \(K_3=K_{3a}\). Their values are

\[ K_1=7.586\times10^{-3},\qquad K_2=6.166\times10^{-8},\qquad K_3=4.786\times10^{-13}. \]

At the specified pH,

\[ h=[\ce{H3O+}]=1.00\times10^{-7}\ \mathrm{mol\,L^{-1}}. \]

The successive equilibria give

\[ \frac{[\ce{H2PO4^-}]}{[\ce{H3PO4}]}=\frac{K_1}{h}, \qquad \frac{[\ce{HPO4^2-}]}{[\ce{H2PO4^-}]}=\frac{K_2}{h}, \qquad \frac{[\ce{PO4^3-}]}{[\ce{HPO4^2-}]}=\frac{K_3}{h}. \]

The phosphate balance is

\[ C_T= [\ce{H3PO4}]+[\ce{H2PO4^-}] +[\ce{HPO4^2-}]+[\ce{PO4^3-}]. \]

Defining

\[ D=h^3+K_1h^2+K_1K_2h+K_1K_2K_3, \]

the fractions follow directly:

\[ \begin{aligned} \alpha_0 &=\frac{[\ce{H3PO4}]}{C_T} =\frac{h^3}{D} =8.15445\times10^{-6},\\[2pt] \alpha_1 &=\frac{[\ce{H2PO4^-}]}{C_T} =\frac{K_1h^2}{D} =0.61857795,\\[2pt] \alpha_2 &=\frac{[\ce{HPO4^2-}]}{C_T} =\frac{K_1K_2h}{D} =0.38141207,\\[2pt] \alpha_3 &=\frac{[\ce{PO4^3-}]}{C_T} =\frac{K_1K_2K_3}{D} =1.82555\times10^{-6}. \end{aligned} \]

These fractions sum to unity. At fixed pH, \(C_T\) cancels from the fractional concentrations. For the stated \(C_T=1.00\times10^{-3}\ \mathrm{mol\,L^{-1}}\), the corresponding concentrations are:

Species Concentration / \(\mathrm{mol\,L^{-1}}\)
\(\ce{H3PO4}\) \(8.15\times10^{-9}\)
\(\ce{H2PO4^-}\) \(6.19\times10^{-4}\)
\(\ce{HPO4^2-}\) \(3.81\times10^{-4}\)
\(\ce{PO4^3-}\) \(1.83\times10^{-9}\)

2.4

Charge neutrality requires zinc phosphate to have formula \(\ce{Zn3(PO4)2}\): three zinc(II) ions balance two phosphate ions. Its constituent-ion SMILES is [Zn+2].[Zn+2].[Zn+2].O=P([O-])([O-])[O-].O=P([O-])([O-])[O-]; this does not specify its crystal lattice.

The dissolution equilibrium is

\[ \ce{Zn3(PO4)2(s) <=> 3Zn^2+(aq) + 2PO4^3-(aq)}, \]

with

\[ K_{\mathrm{sp}}=[\ce{Zn^2+}]^3[\ce{PO4^3-}]^2. \]

Let \(s\) be the molar solubility of zinc phosphate. Within the supplied equilibrium model, dissolved zinc is treated as \(\ce{Zn^2+}\). Since the solid is the only source of both zinc and phosphate,

\[ [\ce{Zn^2+}]=3s, \qquad C_T=2s. \]

The dissolved phosphate distributes among all four protonation states. At pH 7.0, part 2.3 gives

\[ \alpha_3=\frac{[\ce{PO4^3-}]}{C_T} =1.82555\times10^{-6}, \]

so

\[ [\ce{PO4^3-}]=2s\alpha_3. \]

Consequently,

\[ K_{\mathrm{sp}} =(3s)^3(2s\alpha_3)^2 =108\alpha_3^2s^5. \]

Therefore,

\[ s= \left[ \frac{9.1\times10^{-33}} {108(1.82555\times10^{-6})^2} \right]^{1/5} =3.02389\times10^{-5}\ \mathrm{mol\,L^{-1}}. \]

The requested concentrations are

\[ \boxed{ [\ce{Zn^2+}]=3s =9.1\times10^{-5}\ \mathrm{mol\,L^{-1}} } \]

and

\[ \boxed{ [\ce{PO4^3-}]=2s\alpha_3 =1.1\times10^{-10}\ \mathrm{mol\,L^{-1}} }. \]

Using the unrounded concentrations reproduces \([\ce{Zn^2+}]^3[\ce{PO4^3-}]^2=9.1\times10^{-33}\).

The solution was checked against the official solution. Where this solution differs from the official solution, the official solution contains an error or a misprint.