Why isn't the 4 from phosphorous taken down into the equation? Why is four able to stay? Is there a certain rule you use to help you solve these problems and make it easy to remember?      How come the 2H becomes now H2 wasn't it already factored out ?

Chemistry
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ISBN:9781305957404
Author:Steven S. Zumdahl, Susan A. Zumdahl, Donald J. DeCoste
Publisher:Steven S. Zumdahl, Susan A. Zumdahl, Donald J. DeCoste
Chapter1: Chemical Foundations
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Why isn't the 4 from phosphorous taken down into the equation? Why is four able to stay? Is there a certain rule you use to help you solve these problems and make it easy to remember? 

 

 

How come the 2H becomes now H2 wasn't it already factored out ?

Expert Solution
Step 1

The formula of phosphate ion and hydrogen ion are 

phosphate ion = PO43- 

Hydrogen ion = H+ 

Step 2

Since the formula of phosphate ion is itself PO43- 

Hence we can never change the formula of ions while writing the formula of compound.

Hence the 4 stays with O only.

And since we have taken di-hydrogen, hence it means 2 H+ ions

Hence the coefficient of H is 2

And while writing the formula of the compound, we taken the coefficient into the denominator always.

Hence it becomes (H)2 which can be written as H2 as it is single element.

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