Properties
It is a tetrahedral species of idealized symmetry C3v with As-O bonds lengths ranging from 1.66 to 1.71 Å.
Being a triprotic acid, its acidity is described by three equilibria:
- H3AsO4 H2AsO−
4 + H+ (K1 = 10−2.19) - H2AsO−
4 HAsO2−
4 + H+ (K2 = 10−6.94) - HAsO2−
4 AsO3−
4 + H+ (K3 = 10−11.5)
These Ka values are close to those for phosphoric acid. The highly basic arsenate ion (AsO3−
4) is the product of the third ionization. Unlike phosphoric acid, arsenic acid is oxidizing, illustrated by its ability to convert iodide to iodine.
Read more about this topic: Arsenic Acid
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