kevinlimse - 20-10-2004 at 02:57
Why is the Ammonium Hydroxide an improper name for aqueous ammonia?
kyanite - 20-10-2004 at 12:19
??? Don't those two go interchangeably because it's at an equilibrium? Or atleast in water: NH3 + H2O <--> NH4OH
My guess why ammonium hydroxide isn't the same would be the consetrations. Ammonium Hydroxide(assumed that it's in a pure, not mixture form)
isn't the same consentration as aqueous ammonia, which would be NH3 dissolved, and would be at max about 30% NH3?
vulture - 20-10-2004 at 12:51
Because ammoniumhydroxide doesn't exist and can't be isolated.
The correct rxn:
NH3 + H2O ----> NH4+ + OH- which are present as seperate ions.
tom haggen - 21-10-2004 at 10:12
So you if you have a synthesis that calls for a 5% (aq) solution of NH3 than you could simply use ammonium hydroxide. Also If you have a 100% (aq)
NH3 is that the same as 100% NH4OH?
vulture - 21-10-2004 at 10:53
100% NH3 can't contain anything else but NH3 and thus can't be a solution....
tom haggen - 22-10-2004 at 08:24
Okay, 99% then. Lets say you dissolve NH3 (g) into H20 up to a 99% concntration. Will it consist of NH4 ions and OH ions floating around in water? Or
will there be some definite NH3 ions thrown in the mix? I don't know why but I've had a hard time understanding this concept for sometime
now.
[Edited on 22-10-2004 by tom haggen]
vulture - 22-10-2004 at 10:18
The equilibrium NH3 + H2O <---> NH4+ + OH- is situated to the left and even more so in concentrated solutions.
99% NH3 won't work either because that is just humid NH3 gas.
tom haggen - 22-10-2004 at 10:22
Ammonia is one slut of a chemical.
I guess I'm still only used to reactions that theoretically happen from left to right, maybe thats why i'm having such a hard time wrapping
my head around this topic.
[Edited on 22-10-2004 by tom haggen]
vulture - 22-10-2004 at 12:00
You should study equilibriums and then acid-base equilibriums, this will give you a much clearer view.
There are not many reactions that go fully to completion.