Ammonium hydroxide

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Ammonium hydroxide(NH
3
[aq]), alo kno!n a ammonia !ater, aqua ammonia, or aqueou
ammonia, i a olution of ammonia in !ater" #echnically, the ue of the term $ammonium
hydroxide$ i incorrect %ecaue uch a chemical compound cannot %e iolated" Ho!e&er, thi
term doe 'i&e a fair decription of ho! an ammonia olution %eha&e, and i commonly ued
e&en %y cientit and en'ineer"
(hemitry
)n aqueou olution, ammonia deprotonate ome mall fraction of the !ater to 'i&e ammonium
and hydroxide accordin' to the follo!in' equili%rium*
NH
3
+ H
,
- NH
.
+
+ -H
/
With a %ae ioni0ation contant (1
%
) of 2"3425
/6
, in a 27 ammonia olution a%out 5".,8 of the
ammonia !ill 'ain proton to %ecome ammonium ion (equi&alent to a pH of 22"93)"
Aqueou ammonia i ued in traditional qualitati&e inor'anic analyi" :ike many amine, it
'i&e a deep %lue coloration !ith copper())) olution" Ammonia olution can diol&e il&er
reidue, uch a that formed from #ollen; rea'ent"
<olution of ammonium can alo diol&e reacti&e metal uch a 0inc, !ith the li%eration of
hydro'en 'a" When ammonium hydroxide i mixed !ith dilute hydro'en peroxide in the
preence of a metal ion, uch a (u
,+
, the peroxide !ill under'o rapid decompoition"