Phosphoric Acids and Phosphates - Orthophosphoric Acid

The simplest compound of a series of phosphoric acids is sometimes called by its common name, orthophosphoric acid, but more often called by its IUPAC name, simply phosphoric acid, by both non-technical people and even many chemists. It has also been called monophosphoric acid. The chemical formula of orthophosphoric acid is H₃PO₄ and its chemical structure is shown in the illustration below. Two or more orthophosphoric acid molecules can be joined by condensation into larger molecules by elimination of water. This way, a series of polyphosphoric acids can be obtained.