Weak acid

A weak acid is an acid that dissociates incompletely and does not

release all of its hydrogens in a solution i.e it does not completely
donate all of its protons. These acids have higher pKa compared to
strong acids, which release all of their hydrogens when dissolved in
water.

While strong acids are generally assumed to be the most corrosive, this
is not always true. The carborane superacid (H(CHB11Cl11), which is one
million times stronger than sulfuric acid, is entirely non-corrosive,
whereas the weak acid hydrofluoric acid (HF) is extremely corrosive
and can dissolve, among other things, glass and all metals except
iridium.

Explanat ion
Weak acids do not ionize in a solution to a significant extent; that is, if
the acid was represented by the general formula HA, then in aqueous
solution a significant amount of undissociated HA still remains. Weak
acids in water dissociate as

The equilibrium concentrations of reactants and products are related

by the Acidity constant expression, (Ka):

The greater the value of Ka, the more the formation of H+ is favored,
and the lower the pH of the solution. The Ka of weak acids varies
between 1.8×10-16 and 55.5. Acids with a Ka less than 1.8×10-16 are
weaker acids than water.
Examples
The vast majority of acids are weak acids. Organic acids are a large
subset of weak acids. However, there are some mineral acids in this
field.

• acetic acid

Acetic acid, CH3COOH, also known as ethanoic acid, is an

organic acid which gives vinegar its sour taste and pungent
smell. Pure, water-free acetic acid (glacial acetic acid) is a
colourless liquid that absorbs water from the environment
(hygroscopy), and freezes at 16.7 °C (62 °F) to a colourless
crystalline solid. It is a weak acid, in that it is only partially
dissociated acid in aqueous solution.

Acetic acid is one of the simplest carboxylic acids. It is an

important chemical reagent and industrial chemical, used in
the production of polyethylene terephthalate mainly used in
soft drink bottles; cellulose acetate, mainly for photographic
film; and polyvinyl acetate for wood glue, as well as
synthetic fibres and fabrics. In households, diluted acetic
acid is often used in descaling agents. In the food industry
acetic acid is used under the food additive code E260 as an
acidity regulator.

The global demand of acetic acid is around 6.5 million

tonnes per year (Mt/a), of which approximately 1.5 Mt/a is
met by recycling; the remainder is manufactured from
petrochemical feedstocks or from biological sources.

•
• citric acid
• Citric acid is a weak organic acid, and it is a natural preservative and
is also used to add an acidic, or sour, taste to foods and soft drinks. In
biochemistry, it is important as an intermediate in the citric acid
cycle and therefore occurs in the metabolism of almost all living
things. It also serves as an environmentally benign cleaning agent and acts as
an antioxidant and a lubricant.
Citric acid exists in a variety of fruits and vegetables, most
notably citrus fruits. Lemons and limes have particularly high
concentrations of the acid; it can constitute as much as 8%
of the dry weight of these fruits (1.44 and 1.38 grams per
ounce of the juices, respectively[3]). The concentrations of
citric acid in citrus fruits range from .005 mol/L for oranges
and grapefruits to .030 mol/L in lemons and limes. These
values will vary depending on the circumstances in which
the fruit was grown.

• boric acid
• phosphoric acid
• Phosphoric acid, also known as orthophosphoric acid or phosphoric(V) acid,
is a mineral (inorganic) acid having the chemical formula
H3PO4. Orthophosphoric acid molecules can combine with themselves to form
a variety of compounds which are also referred to as phosphoric acids, but in a
more general way. The term phosphoric acid can also refer to a chemical or
reagent consisting of phosphoric acids, usually orthophosphoric acid.
• hydrofluoric acid
• Hydrofluoric acid is a solution of hydrogen fluoride in
water. While it is extremely corrosive and dangerous to
handle, it is technically a weak acid.[1] Hydrogen
fluoride, often in the aqueous form as hydrofluoric acid,
is a valued source of fluorine, being the precursor to
numerous pharmaceuticals (e.g., Prozac), diverse
polymers (e.g., Teflon), and most other synthetic
materials that contain fluorine. Hydrofluoric acid is best
known to the public for its ability to dissolve glass by
reacting with SiO2 (silicon dioxide), the major
component of most glass. This property has been
known since the 17th century, even before hydrofluoric
acid had been prepared in large quantities by Scheele
in 1771.[2] This dissolution process can be described as
follows:

SiO2(s) + 4 HF(aq) → SiF4(g) + 2 H2O(l)

SiO2(s) + 6HF(aq) → H2[SiF6](aq) + 2H2O(l)

Because of its high reactivity toward glass,

hydrofluoric acid must be stored
 (for small quantities) in polyethylene or Teflon
containers. It is also unique in

its ability to dissolve many metal and semimetal

oxides. It is corrosive, as

explained below.