Chemistry · Chapter 15

Amphoteric Hydroxides

Some hydroxides dissolve in acid and in strong base. Slide the pH and watch the solid go both ways. The curve is a V, and its floor is the pH where the metal is hardest to keep in solution.

Solubility against pH log scale, both branches live

Total dissolved metal against pH for a metal hydroxide pH dissolved metal (M) free cation branch hydroxo complex branch total dissolved metal the two reactions

Pick a hydroxide

Live numbers

4.5e-3mol/L dissolved acid side

What you are seeing

one solid, two reactions
Zinc hydroxide at pH 7.00