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Why calcium phosphate is soluble in dilute nitric acid while calcium sulphate does not?

April 26, 2017acid calcium Chemistry dilute Mathematics nitric phosphate soluble Sulphate

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Why calcium phosphate is soluble in dilute nitric acid while calcium sulphate does not?

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Both calcium phosphate and calcium sulphate are insoluble in water. Why calcium phosphate is soluble in dilute nitric acid while calcium sulphate does not? You should know that sulfuric acid is a strong acid, while phosphoric acid is a weak acid. When a strong acid is added into a salt formed by a weak acid and a base, the strong acid would replace the weak acid. When a strong acid is added into a salt formed by a strong acid and a base, nothing would happen. Since phosphoric acid is a weak acid, calcium phosphate would react with nitric acid to form calcium nitrate and phosphoric acid. That would not happen to the calcium sulphate. That is why calcium phosphate is soluble in dilute nitric acid while calcium sulphate does not.