POLYPROTIC ACIDS AND BASES

Bronsted acids, which can donate more than one proton, are called
polyprotic acids or polybasic acids. For example, oxalic acid and
sulphuric acid have two ionisable protons per molecule of the acid,
which can be donated. Then these are called dibasic acids.

Phosphoric acid H3PO4 that can donate three protons is called tri
basic or tri protic acid .The dissociation reaction for dibasic can be
represented as

The corresponding dissociation constants are:

Ka1 and Ka2 are called the first and second ionization constants respectively
of the acid H2X. Similarly, for tribasic acids like H3PO4 we will have three
ionization constants.

For example, carbonic acid, H2CO3 has the following equilibrium:

The conjugate base of H2CO3 the first equilibrium, HCO3 – acts as acid and
for the second equilibrium forming in turn its own conjugate base, CO3. The
equation for the overall reaction is:

This equation is the sum of the two individual equations. It is known that
the overall equilibrium constant is the product of the equilibrium constants
for each contributing reaction:
It is also observed that higher order ionization constants are smaller than the
lower order ionization constants.
K a1 > K a2 > K a3 ----

Thus, the acidic strength of polyprotic acid decreases, as protons are lost.

Similarly a polyacidic base is a species which can accept more than proton
e,g, CO32- and oxalate anion C2O42- are diacidic because they can accept two
protons and phosphate anion PO43- is triacidic because it can accept three
protons. They have the corresponding ionization constants as,

K b1 , K b2 , K b3 ----

Common ion effect in the ionization of acids and bases

The ionization of an acid gives hydrogen or hydronium ion and

corresponding anion. If anyone of the products is added to the acid solution,
then the ionization of the acid moves towards the backward direction
according to Le Chatelier’s principle. As a result, the ionization of acid
suppresses and the acid is ionized to lesser extent e.g. acetic acid
(CH3COOH) dissociates as:
If hydrogen ions are added to the solution from any other source, it will
combine with acetate ions in the solution and form unionized acetic acid.
With this the degree of ionization of acetic acid will decreases. So this will
effect when any ion is added to the equilibrium mixture from any external
source. This is known as Common ion effect.