Sulphuric acid is a corrosive acid and is also termed the king of acids. In contrast, lithium phosphate is basic salt. Let us study how H2SO4 and Li3PO4 react.
H2SO4 + Li3PO4 yields a salt metathesis reaction. Sulphuric acid is a strong acid used to clean metals, remove oil impurities, and synthesise dyes, and detergents. In contrast, lithium phosphate is formed by combining lithium hydroxide and phosphoric acid.
In this article, we will learn the product, balancing and net ionic equation of the H2SO4 and Li3PO4 reaction.
What is the product of H2SO4 and Li3PO4?
Lithium sulphate (Li2SO4) and phosphoric acid (H3PO4) are formed on the reaction of sulphuric acid (3H2SO4) and lithium phosphate (Li3PO4).
2Li3PO4 + 3H2SO4 → 3Li2SO4 + 2H3PO4
What type of reaction is H2SO4 + Li3PO4?
H2SO4 + Li3PO4 is a double displacement reaction, i.e., the cation and anion of the reacting species interchange their position to form 2 new compounds.
2Li3PO4 + 3H2SO4 → 3Li2SO4 + 2H3PO4
How to balance H2SO4 + Li3PO4?
H2SO4 + Li3PO4 can be balanced using the hit and trial method by following the below steps.
- First, we will write the complete equation.
- Li3PO4 + H2SO4 → Li2SO4 + H3PO4
- We shall compare the elements of reactants with the products.
| Reactant Side | Product Side |
|---|---|
| 3 Lithium atoms from Lithium Phosphate | 2 Lithium atoms from Lithium Sulphate |
| 1 Phosphorus atom from Lithium Phosphate | 1 Phosphorus atom from Phosphoric Acid |
| 8 Oxygen atoms from Lithium Phosphate and Sulphuric Acid | 8 Oxygen atoms from Lithium Sulphate and Phosphoric Acid |
| 2 Hydrogen atoms from Sulphuric Acid | 3 Hydrogen atoms from Phosphoric Acid |
| 1 Sulphur atom from Sulphuric Acid | 1 Sulphur atom from Lithium Sulphate |
- First, balance lithium atoms followed by phosphorus, sulphur, oxygen and hydrogen atoms.
- Put stoichiometric coefficient 2 before lithium phosphate in the reactant half and 3 before lithium sulphate in the product half to balance the lithium atoms.
- Put stoichiometric coefficient 2 before phosphoric acid in the product half to balance the phosphorus atoms.
- Put stoichiometric coefficient 3 before sulphuric acid in the reactant half to balance the sulphur atoms.
- We can see that the reactant atoms are equivalent to the product atoms.
- Hence, the above equation is balanced.
- 2Li3PO4 + 3H2SO4 → 3Li2SO4 + 2H3PO4
H2SO4 + Li3PO4 Titration
H2SO4 + Li3PO4 does not give titration because there is no equivalence point.
H2SO4 + Li3PO4 Net Ionic Equation
The H2SO4 + Li3PO4 net ionic equation is
6H+ + 2PO4-3 → 2H3PO4
We will follow the below steps to calculate the net ionic equation.
- First, we will write the complete balanced equation.
- 2Li3PO4 + 3H2SO4 → 3Li2SO4 + 2H3PO4
- We will split the ions of the balanced equation to find the net ionic equation.
- 6Li+ + 2PO4-3 + 6H+ + 3SO42- → 6Li+ + 3SO42- + 2H3PO4
- Lithium and Sulphate ions are present in both reactant and product halves. Thus, it would get cancelled out.
- Therefore, the net ionic equation will be:
- 6H+ + 2PO4-3 → 2H3PO4
H2SO4 + Li3PO4 Conjugate Pairs
The conjugate acid-base pair for H2SO4 and Li3PO4 are mentioned below:
- The conjugate base of sulphuric acid is the sulphate (SO42-) ion.
- There is no conjugate base of lithium phosphate as it does not contain any proton.
H2SO4 and Li3PO4 Intermolecular Forces
The intermolecular forces between H2SO4 and Li3PO4 are mentioned below:
- H2SO4 has electrostatic force, van der Waals forces, hydrogen bonding, and ion-dipole intermolecular force of attraction.
- Li3PO4 has electrostatic force, van der Waals force, and ion-dipole intermolecular force of attraction.
Is H2SO4 + Li3PO4 a Buffer Solution
H2SO4 + Li3PO4 is not a buffer solution, as sulphuric acid is a strong acid. In contrast, a buffer solution comprises a mixture of a weak acid and its conjugate base or a weak base and its conjugate acid.
Is H2SO4 + Li3PO4 a Complete Reaction
H2SO4 + Li3PO4 is a complete reaction, as no reactant is left at the end of the reaction.
Is H2SO4 + Li3PO4 an Endothermic Reaction
H2SO4 + Li3PO4 is an endothermic reaction, as the value of change of Gibbs free energy (delta G) is positive.
Is H2SO4 + Li3PO4 a Redox Reaction
H2SO4 + Li3PO4 is not a redox reaction, as the oxidation state of elements does not change, i.e. no oxidation and reduction occurs.
Is H2SO4 + Li3PO4 a Precipitation Reaction
H2SO4 + Li3PO4 is not a precipitation reaction, as no residue is left at the end of the reaction.
Is H2SO4 + Li3PO4 Reversible or Irreversible Reaction
H2SO4 + Li3PO4 is not a reversible reaction, as it is unidirectional, i.e. we can not extract reactants from products.
Is H2SO4 + Li3PO4 Displacement Reaction
H2SO4 + Li3PO4 is a displacement reaction, as the phosphate ion from lithium phosphate displaces sulphate ion from sulphuric acid to form lithium sulphate. And the sulphate ion from sulphuric acid displaces phosphate ions from lithium phosphate to form lithium sulphate.
2Li3PO4 + 3H2SO4 → 3Li2SO4 + 2H3PO4
Conclusion
Sulphuric acid reacts with lithium phosphate to form lithium sulphate and phosphoric acid. It is an example of an irreversible displacement reaction. The oxidation state of elements remains constant during the reaction, and energy is supplied during the reaction.
Hi, I am Leena Raswant, a chemistry postgraduate. I thrive on challenges and continually specified goals. I aim to learn, unlearn, relearn and spread my knowledge in the best possible ways. Currently, I am working as a chemistry educator and a freelance writer.