What is the chemical equation for diphosphorus trioxide + water ---> phosphorous acid?

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Answer 1 · 2014-05-13T00:47:04

Diphosphorus trioxide + water produces phosphorous acid.

Diphosphorous trioxide is a molecular (covalent) compound. Using the prefixes the molecular formula is $P_{2} O_{3}$ $P_2O_3$

Phosphorous acid is $H_{3} P O_{3}$ $H_3PO_3$

$P_{2} O_{3} + H_{2} O \to H_{3} P O_{3}$ $P_2O_3 + H_2O -> H_3PO_3$

To balance this equation we begin be adding a coefficient of 2 in front of the phosphorous acid.

$P_{2} O_{3} + H_{2} O \to 2 H_{3} P O_{3}$ $P_2O_3 + H_2O -> 2H_3PO_3$

We balance the hydrogen by adding a coefficient of 3 in front of the water.

$P_{2} O_{3} + 3 H_{2} O \to 2 H_{3} P O_{3}$ $P_2O_3 + 3H_2O -> 2H_3PO_3$

I hope this was helpful.
SMARTERTEACHER