Is phosphoric acid strong or weak?

Understand the Problem

The question is asking whether phosphoric acid is classified as a strong acid or a weak acid in chemistry, indicating its ability to donate protons in solution.

More Information

Phosphoric acid is classified as a weak acid because it does not fully dissociate in water. Despite being stronger than some other weak acids like carbonic acid and acetic acid, it does not meet the criteria to be considered a strong acid.

Tips

A common mistake is assuming that all acids that can slightly ionize are strong. Remember that strong acids completely dissociate in water, which is not the case for phosphoric acid.

Sources

• Is phosphoric acid a strong acid? - corp.tutorocean.com
• Phosphoric acid - Wikipedia - en.wikipedia.org
• Why is phosphoric acid a weak acid? - quora.com