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Hydrobromic acid is a type of strong acid which is prepared by dissolving the molecule of hydrogen bromide in water. It is a chemical compound of bromine used to produce zinc, calcium and sodium.
- At 124.3 °C, an aqueous solution of "constant boiling" hydrobromic acid distils, yielding 47.6 per cent HBr by mass, or 8.77 mol/L.
- Hydrobromic acid is one of the most potent mineral acids.
- With a pKa of 9, it is stronger than hydrochloric acid.
- It is not as powerful as hydroiodic acid.
- The chemical formula of hydrobromic acid is HBr.
- It is a colourless liquid which is highly soluble in water.
- The acid is used in the anti-Markovnikov hydrohalogenation of alkenes.
- The molecule is bonded by a single covalent bond between the bromine and hydrogen atom.
Read More: Chemical Equation for Calcium Hydroxide
Key Terms: Hydrobromic Acid, Bromine, Sulphur Dioxide, Water, Acid, Catalyst, Hydrochloric Acid, Diatomic Molecule, Aqueous Solution
What is Hydrobromic Acid?
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Hydrobromic acid is made when the diatomic molecule hydrogen bromide (HBr) is dissolved in water. In industrial syntheses, hydrobromic acid (HBr) is employed as a source of bromine.
- It's a strong acid in aqueous solution that's used to make PTA/PET catalysts.
- The compound is responsible for forming electrolytes for energy storage.
- Hydrobromination agents are used in various chemical processes like pharma and agro applications.
- In the formation of hydrobromic acid, hydrogen ions are easily ionized by highly electronegativity Br atom.
- The compound is highly corrosive in nature, which can easily burn your skin.
- Graphite is the most suitable catalyst for bromine electrodes.
- It can easily attack the bromine atom dissolved in hydrobromic acid.
Hydrobromic acid
Read More: Alkynes
The video below explains this:
Hydrobromic Acid Detailed Video Explanation:
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Physical Properties of Hydrobromic Acid
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The physical properties of hydrobromic acid are as follows:
- It is a colourless liquid that has a pungent odour.
- The molecular mass or molar mass of hydrobromic acid is 80.9 g/mol.
- Another name for hydrobromic acid is bromane or hydrogen bromane.
- It has a boiling point of 122 °C.
- In its anhydrous form, the compound appears as a colorless gas.
- It is a strong acid that is corrosive in nature.
| Formula | HBr |
|---|---|
| Molecular Weight | 80.9 g/mol. |
| Melting Point | −11 °C |
| Boiling Point | 122 °C |
| Density | 1.49 g/cm3 |
Preparation of Hydrobromic Acid
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There are a number of ways of preparing hydrobromic acid, which are as follows:
Reaction of bromine with sulphur oxide and water
In this reaction, bromine reacts with the water molecules and sulphur oxide, which will produce hydrobromic acid. Sulphuric acid is the additional by-product formed.
Br2 + SO2 + 2 H2O → H2SO4 + 2 HBr
- The manufacture of anhydrous HBr, which is then dissolved in water, is more commonly used in laboratory preparations.
- Bromine, sulphur, or phosphorus, and water are often used in the industrial production of hydrobromic acid.
- It can, however, be generated electrolytically.
- It's also possible to make it by combining bromides with non-oxidizing acids like phosphoric or acetic acids.
Also Read: Types of Chemical Reactions
Reaction of sulphuric acid and potassium bromide
Alternatively, dilute (5.8M) sulphuric acid and potassium bromide can be used to make the acid. The yield is estimated to be over 85%.
H2SO4 + KBr → KHSO4 + HBr
- HBr is further oxidised to bromine gas by using more concentrated sulphuric acid.
- Another way of making hydrobromic acid involves allowing the reaction solution to approach 75 °C.
- Filtering out the KHSO4 and distilling the water further purifies the acid until it achieves an azeotrope (126 °C at 760 torr).
- Hydrobromic acid is commercially available in a variety of concentrations and purities.
Uses of Hydrobromic Acid
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Some of the uses of hydrobromic acid are as follows:
- Inorganic bromides, such as zinc, calcium, and sodium bromides, are mostly made with hydrobromic acid.
- It's an excellent reagent for the preparation of organobromine compounds.
- Certain ethers can be cleaved using HBr.
- Some of the extraction of ores and alkylation processes are catalysed by hydrobromic acid.
- Alkyl bromide, tetrabromo bis(phenol), and bromoacetic acid are all important organic chemicals from HBr.
- HBr is used almost entirely for anti-Markovnikov hydrohalogenation of alkenes.
- In industrial syntheses, hydrobromic acid (HBr) is employed as a source of bromine.
pH of Hydrobromic acid
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Hydrobromic acid is a strong acid with an acid dissociation constant pKa of −9. The acid is strongly dependent upon the concentration of its own aqueous solution.
- Because there will be one mole of H+ for every mole of HBr, the concentration of H+ will be the same as the concentration of HBr.
- As a result, [H+] = 0.025 M.
- Enter the hydrogen ion concentration to solve the problem.
- A 0.025 M solution of hydrobromic acid has a pH of 1.602
Read More : Importance of Ph
Manufacturing of Hydrobromic Acid
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Hydrobromic acid is manufactured by using one of the following ways:
- Bromine, sulphur, or phosphorus, and water are often used in the industrial production of hydrobromic acid.
- It can, however, be generated electrolytically.
- It's also possible to make it by combining bromides with non-oxidizing acids like phosphoric or acetic acids.
Also Read:
Things to Remember
- Hydrobromic Acid is an acid formed in water when bromide of hydrogen is dissolved.
- The chemical Formula for Hydrobromic acid is HBr.
- It is a diatomic molecule.
- Hydrogen Bromide is a colourless, suffocating gas.
- HBr is highly soluble in water and highly dissociated in aqueous solutions.
- It is a chemical intermediate, especially in sanitizing/disinfecting agents.
- Hydrobromic Acid is also used as a reagent and catalyst in numerous organic reactions.
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Sample Questions
Ques. What happens when you mix hydrobromic acid with something else? (2 marks)
Ans: Many metals react severely with hydrobromic acid and hydrogen bromide, producing highly explosive hydrogen gas that can explode. Chlorine or bromine can be produced by reacting with oxidizers like permanganates, chlorates, chlorites, and hypochlorites.
Ques: What are the common uses of hydrobromic acid? (3 marks)
Ans. Some of the common uses of hydrobromic acid are as follows:
- In industrial syntheses, hydrobromic acid (HBr) is employed as a source of bromine.
- It's a strong acid in aqueous solution that's used to make PTA/PET catalysts.
- It is used for the creation of electrolytes for energy storage.
- Hydrobromination agents are used for a variety of chemical processes in agriculture industries.
Read More : Hydrogen Chloride
Ques: What colour does hydrobromic acid have? (2 marks)
Ans. Hydrobromic acid is a colourless to pale yellow liquid that contains one hydrogen and one bromine atom. It is one of the most powerful mineral acids available. It is represented by the number, which is as follows: CAS 10035-10-6.
Ques. What is hydrobromic acid's charge? (2 marks)
Ans: Hydrogen has a +1 charge, while Bromine has a -1 charge. In the compound, each atom will have one atom. Here, the acid must be in an aqueous solution, as this is where it dissociates into H+ ions. It is a strong acid used for the production of inorganic bromides.
Ques: What form of salt is produced when sodium hydroxide combines with hydrobromic acid? (2 marks)
Ans: Sodium hydroxide combines with hydrochloric acid to generate sodium chloride (salt) and water. It is a form of neutralisation reaction. The chemical reaction involved in the process is as follows: NaOH+HBr→NaBr+H2O
Read more : Lewis acids
Ques: What's the difference between hydrobromic acid and hydrogen bromide? (3 marks)
Ans: The difference betweeb hydrobromic acid and hydrogen bromide are as follows:
| Hydrogen Bromide | Hydrobromic Acid |
|---|---|
| It is an inorganic chemical compound having formula HBr | It is a saturated solution of hydrogen bromide |
| Hydrogen bromide is a type of chemical compound. | Hydrobromic Acid is an acidic solution. |
| The compound is formed when sodium bromide react with phosphoric acid or vice versa. | The compound is formed when Br2 and SO2 react with water. |
Ques: When sodium hydroxide combines with water, what happens? (2 marks)
Ans: When sodium hydroxide (NaOH) dissolves in water, it divides into positively and negatively charged sodium ions (cations) and hydroxide ions (anions). These ions move freely and independently in the water, while anions tend to be more tightly surrounded by cations and vice versa.
Ques: Why does concentrated HBr have the ability to conduct electricity? (2 marks)
Ans: This process is referred to as ionisation because ions are formed from neutral substances. In the case of HBr, all of the molecules effectively interacted to form ions. HBr is characterised as a strong solution electrolyte since the solution is an excellent conductor of electricity.
Read More : Group 18 Elements
Ques: What is the difference between organic and inorganic compounds? (3 marks)
Ans: The difference betweeb hydrobromic acid and hydrogen bromide are as follows:
| Organic Compound | Inorganic Compound |
|---|---|
| Organic compounds are those compounds which are made of carbon atoms | Inorganic compounds does not have any carbon atom. |
| They are highly insoluble in water. | They are soluble in water. |
| These type of compound form covalent bond. | These type of compound form ionic bond. |
Ques: Is hydrobromic acid a binary acid or a non-binary acid? (2 marks)
Ans: Binary acids are the types of hydrogen compounds which are made of two distinct types of compounds. It includes hydrogen atoms that are attached to another atom, which is in the 7th group of the periodic table. Some of the binary acids are hydrobromic acid (HBr), hydrochloric acid (HCl), hydrofluoric acid (HF), and hydroiodic acid (HI). Thus, hydrobromic acid is a binary acid.
Ques: When sodium hydroxide and hydrobromic acid are combined, what are the results? (2 marks)
Ans: When you mix hydrochloric acid (HCl) with sodium hydroxide (NaOH), you get water (H20) and sodium chloride (NaCl), which is commonly referred to as table salt. The chemical reaction involved in the process is as follows: NaOH+HCl→NaCl+H2O
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