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We frequently see the formula of this ion written simply as “Al3+(aq)”, without explicitly
noting that six water molecules are covalently bonded to the aluminum ion. This is
similar to the simplification of the formula of the hydronium ion, H3O+ to H+. In this case,
a bonded water molecule acts as a weak acid (see the figure below) and donates
a proton to a water molecule.
The conjugate base produced by this process contains five other bonded water
molecules capable of acting as acids, and so the sequential or step-wise transfer of
protons is possible as depicted in the equations below:
This is an example of a polyprotic acid, the topic of discussion in a later section of this
tutorial.
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13/04/2019 The Ionization of Hydrated Metal Ions | Acid-Base Equilibria
When an aluminum ion reacts with water, the hydrated aluminum ion becomes a weak acid.
Additional examples of the first stage in the ionization of hydrated metal ions are:
Example
Solution
In spite of the unusual appearance of the acid, this is a typical acid ionization
problem.
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13/04/2019 The Ionization of Hydrated Metal Ions | Acid-Base Equilibria
1. Determine the direction of change. The equation for the reaction and Ka are:
[H 3 O + ][Al(H 2 O) 5 (OH) 2+ ]
Ka = Ka=[H3O+][Al(H2O)5(OH)2+][Al(H2O)6
[Al(H 2 O) 6 3+ ]
(x)(x)
= = 1.4 × 10−5 =(x)(x)0.10−x=1.4×10−5
0.10 − x
4. Check the work. The arithmetic checks; when 1.2 × × 10−3M is substituted
for x, the result = Ka.
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13/04/2019 The Ionization of Hydrated Metal Ions | Acid-Base Equilibria
The constants for the different stages of ionization are not known for many metal ions,
so we cannot calculate the extent of their ionization. However, practically all hydrated
metal ions other than those of the alkali metals ionize to give acidic solutions. Ionization
increases as the charge of the metal ion increases or as the size of the metal ion
decreases.
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