Monoprotic Acid-Base Diagrams

For the single, monoprotic acids and bases in the above example, the distribution and logarithmic concentration diagrams are rather simple, yet they clearly show the relative and absolute concentrations respectively of the various species present. Such diagrams become all the more useful when we consider more complicated systems, such as polyprotic acids and bases, where it otherwise becomes increasingly difficult to envision what happens as a function of pH. We will do so in exercises 4.5 and 4.6. 

The following diagrams represent aqueous solutions of two monoprotic acids, HA (A = XorY). The water molecules have been omitted for clarity, (a) Which is the stronger acid, HX or HY (b) Which is the stronger base, X or Y ... 

Because of the varied spacings of pK values, the polyprotic acid-bases do not have uniquely shaped a diagrams as do monoprotic... 

The following diagrams represent aqueous solutions of three different monoprotic acids HA, HB, and HC. (a) Which conjugate base (A , B", or C ) has the smallest value ... 

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