meanings of Amphoteric definition of Amphoteric books about Amphoteric references on Amphoteric articles about Amphoteric web search for Amphoteric dreams about Amphoteric
 Amphoteric - Definition 

Amphoteric describes something made of, or acting like, two components.

In chemistry, it indicates a substance that can react with either an acid or base. Examples include amino acids and water. Many metals, such as zinc, tin, aluminium and beryllium, have amphoteric oxides. For example, zinc oxide ZnO reacts differently depending on the pH of the solution:

In acids:

ZnO + 2H+ --> Zn2+ + H2O

In bases:

ZnO + H2O + 2OH- --> [Zn(OH)4]2-

This effect can be used to separate different cations, such as zinc from manganese.

See also:

ca:amfòter sv:Amfoterisk

Copyright 2008 WordIQ.com - Privacy Policy  ::  Terms of Use  :: Contact Us  :: About Us
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Amphoteric".