Difference Between Binary and Ternary Acids

Key Difference – Binary vs Ternary Acids

Acids are compounds capable of donating hydrogen ions (H⁺) or forming a covalent bond with an electron pair (a Lewis acid). Acids have many characteristic features such as the ability to turn blue Litmus into a red colour, neutralize alkaline solutions, etc. Most of the acids are corrosive at even low concentrations. Therefore, care should be taken when working with acids. Binary and ternary acids are two forms of acids. The key difference between binary and ternary acids is that binary acids are chemical compounds that are composed of hydrogen as an essential component that is bonded to a nonmetal whereas ternary acids are acid compounds containing hydrogen and oxygen atoms bonded to another element, most of the times, a nonmetal.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What are Binary Acids
3. What are Ternary Acids
4. Similarities Between Binary and Ternary Acids
5. Side by Side Comparison – Binary vs Ternary Acids in Tabular Form
6. Summary

What are Binary Acids

A binary acid is an acidic compound that always has hydrogen boned to another chemical elements, most of the times a nonmetal. It is called “binary” because it has two different elements combined with each other. Since hydrogen is present as an essential component, binary acids are also called hydracids. Binary acids are covalent compounds that act as acids in an aqueous medium.

The other metal that is combined with the hydrogen atom here is a p block element. Although these acids are composed only of two different elements, they are not essentially diatomic. Diatomic compounds are molecules composed of two atoms. Binary acids can be either diatomic or there can be more than two atoms per molecule.

Binary acids contain hydrogen ion (H⁺) as the only cation. Therefore, when naming a binary acid, the following components should be there.

• The prefix ‘hydro-‘
• The root name of the anion
• Suffix ‘–ic’ followed by the word acid

Let us consider some examples of binary acids.

What are Ternary Acids?

Ternary acids are acidic compounds that contain hydrogen and oxygen combined with another element. The other chemical element is most of the times, a nonmetal. It is a compound composed of hydrogen ion (H⁺) bonded to a polyatomic anion. However, a hydrogen ion is the only cation present in ternary acids.

Ternary acids are often known as “oxyacids”. That is because these are oxygen contain compounds having the ability to release a hydrogen ion (H⁺) to the aqueous medium to which it is dissolved in. Hence, the general formula for a ternary acid is “H-O-X”.

In order to be an acid, this compound should donate hydrogen ions by breaking the bond between hydrogen atoms and an oxygen atom (-O-H). For this to happen, the nonmetal bonded to oxygen (X) should be highly electronegative. Then, the electrons are highly attracted by this nonmetal, and as a result, the bond between oxygen and hydrogen weakens.

When naming ternary acids, the suffixes of the names of anions are changed (based on the oxidation state of the nonmetal) followed by the word “acid”. Following are some examples.

What are the Similarities Between Binary and Ternary Acids?

• Both Binary and Ternary Acids are forms of acids.
• Both Binary and Ternary Acids are capable of donating hydrogen ions.
• Both Binary and Ternary Acids are composed of hydrogen atoms.

What is the Difference Between Binary and Ternary Acids?

Summary – Binary vs Ternary Acids

Binary acids are compounds having the general formula H-X. Ternary acids are acidic compounds that have the general formula H-O-X. The difference between binary and ternary acids is that binary acids are chemical compounds that are composed of hydrogen as an essential component that is bonded to a nonmetal whereas ternary acids are acid compounds containing hydrogen and oxygen atoms bonded to another element, most of the times, a nonmetal.

Reference:

1.“Binary acid.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 22 Jan. 2018. Available here 
2.Stanley Smith, et al. Fundamentals of Chemistry,Section 6.2: Naming Compounds. 2000.Available here
3.“Binary and ternary acids.” General Chemistry for the Health Care Professions. Available here

Image Courtesy:

1.’Hydrogen sulfide’By Bangin – Own work, (CC BY 2.5) via Commons Wikimedia
2.’Sulfuric-acid-2D’ (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia