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orthophosphoric acid

American

[awr-thoh-fos-fawr-ik, -for-, awr-] / ˈɔr θoʊ fɒsˈfɔr ɪk, -ˈfɒr-, ˌɔr- /

noun

Chemistry.

a colorless, crystalline solid, H 3 PO 4 , the tribasic acid of pentavalent phosphorus: used chiefly in fertilizers, as a source of phosphorus salts, and in soft drinks as an acidulant and flavoring agent.

orthophosphoric acid British

/ ˌɔːθəʊfɒsˈfɒrɪk /

noun

Also called: phosphoric acid. a colourless soluble solid tribasic acid used in the manufacture of fertilizers and soaps. Formula: H 3 PO 4

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of orthophosphoric acid

First recorded in 1870–75; ortho- + phosphoric acid

Example Sentences

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orthophosphoric acid

Dropping P4O10 into water produces a hissing sound, heat, and orthophosphoric acid:

From Textbooks ● Feb. 14, 2019

The solid melts at 70.1 °C and decomposes at about 200 °C by disproportionation into phosphine and orthophosphoric acid:

From Textbooks ● Feb. 14, 2019

One commercial method of preparing orthophosphoric acid is to treat calcium phosphate rock with concentrated sulfuric acid:

From Textbooks ● Feb. 14, 2019

It is possible to prepare pure orthophosphoric acid by dissolving P4O10 in water.

From Textbooks ● Feb. 14, 2019

This acid is formed when orthophosphoric acid is heated above 400°: H3PO4 = HPO3 + H2O.

From An Elementary Study of Chemistry by McPherson, William

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023