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Strong and Weak Acids

A strong acid completely dissociates in aqueous solution and releases all its hydrogen ions into solution as protons.

A weak acid partially dissociates in aqueous and releases only a small proportion of its hydrogen ions.

Sulfuric acid is considered a strong acid but dissociates in two stages:
H₂SO₄ (aq) → H⁺ (aq) + HSO₄^-(aq)
Sulfuric acid behaves as a strong acid.
HSO₄^- (aq) ⇌ H⁺ (aq) + SO₄^2-(aq)
The HSO₄^- ions formed behave as a weak acid.

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Specification: OCR Chemistry A (H032), AS-level, 2.1.4 Acids. Topic: Acids and Redox.

Key terms in this lesson

Ion: A positively or negatively charged atom or group of atoms, formed by the loss or gain of electrons.
Acid: A proton donor; a substance that releases hydrogen ions when dissolved in water.

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