What was causing the very weird problem?

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The discussion revolves around a problem involving the dissociation of sulfuric acid (H2SO4), a polyprotic acid. Initially, the calculation of moles of H2SO4 was presented, leading to confusion regarding its dissociation. It was clarified that H2SO4 does not dissociate completely in one step; instead, it dissociates in two stages. The first dissociation produces H+ and HSO4-, while the second dissociation produces additional H+ and SO42-, with differing acid dissociation constants (K_a). The conversation highlights the importance of accurately interpreting the dissociation process for polyprotic acids and the need for clear problem wording to avoid confusion. Ultimately, the original poster resolved their issue after further consideration and discussion.
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Very weird problem here...

Problem solved... nm thanks for your help though...
 
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apchemstudent said:
0.035 L * 3 M of H2SO4 = 0.105 mols of H2SO4
H2SO4 -> 2 H+ + SO42-

Theres your first problem. Polyprotic acids don't disassociate all at once. The correct reaction would be
H_2SO_4 \longrightarrow H^+ + HSO_4^-\ \ \ K_a = high
HSO_4^- \longrightarrow H^+ + SO_4^{2-}\ \ \ K_a = a\ lot\ less
 
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so-crates said:
Theres your first problem. Polyprotic acids don't disassociate all at once. The correct reaction would be
H_2SO_4 \longrightarrow H^+ + HSO_4^-\ \ \ K_a = high
HSO_4^- \longrightarrow H^+ + SO_4^{2-}\ \ \ K_a = a\ lot\ less

Ya, i think my teacher wants to pretend it dissociates completely. However though, that still won't solve my problem. If we pretend only 1 H+ dissociates we have 0.105 moles of H+

(.105 - .075)/3 does not equal .105/4
 
Could you state the exact wording of the problem? What you wrote is rather confusing.
 
Yes, apchemstudent, please write the exact wording and we will discuss it. It is good that you've made much effort to solve it, and maybe we'll see a little point you may have forgotten.
 
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figured out the mistake...
 
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