Practicing Success
Identify the chemical formula of ammonium hydroxide. |
NH4OH NH4O2 NH3O NH2OH |
NH4OH |
The correct answer is option 1. NH4OH. The chemical formula for ammonium hydroxide is NH₄OH. However, it's important to note that this formula represents an idealized representation, not the actual structure of the compound in solution. Here's a breakdown of the points: Ammonium hydroxide: This is a solution of ammonia gas (NH₃) in water (H₂O). Formula (NH₄OH): While commonly used, this formula implies the presence of discrete NH₄⁺ and OH⁻ ions in the solution. Reality: In actuality, only a small portion of the ammonia reacts with water to form these ions. The majority remains as NH₃ molecules. The equilibrium can be represented as: NH₃ (aq) + H₂O (l) ⇌ NH₄⁺ (aq) + OH⁻ (aq) Therefore, NH₄OH is the accepted formula, but it's crucial to understand that it doesn't represent the exact composition of the solution at the microscopic level. |