How does water react to form ions?

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How does water react to form ions?

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Answer 1 · 2015-12-29T15:11:46

Water undergoes autoprotolysis. The reaction is given in the next section.

Explanation:

$H_{2} O ⇌ H^{+} + H O^{-}$ $H_2O rightleftharpoons H^(+) + HO^-$ .

Alternatively:

$2 H_{2} O ⇌ H_{3} O^{+} + O H^{-}$ $2H_2O rightleftharpoons H_3O^(+) + OH^-$

Reaction (ii) is a bit more common these days. What we conceive to be the acidium ion, $H^{+} or H_{3} O^{+}$ $H^+ or H_3O^+$ , is actually a cluster of water atoms (4-5) with an extra proton, i.e. $H_{9} O_{4}^{+}$ $H_9O_4^+$ .

In any case the equilibrium is known for standard conditions ( $1$ $1$ $a t m$ $atm$ , $298 K$ $298K$ ), and the ion product, $K_{w}$ $K_w$ $=$ $=$ $[H_{3} O^{+}] [H O^{-}]$ $[H_3O^+][HO^-]$ $=$ $=$ $10^{- 14}$ $10^(-14)$ .

Under non-standard conditions (i.e. > $298 K$ $298K$ ), would you expect $K_{w}$ $K_w$ to increase or decrease? Why?

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How does water react to form ions?

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