An industrial chemist monitors the rate of corrosion of zinc plates. They observe that zinc corrodes much more slowly in a 0.5 mol dm-3 solution of sulfurous acid (H2SO3H_2SO_3H2SO3) than in a 0.5 mol dm-3 solution of sulfuric acid (H2SO4H_2SO_4H2SO4).
This difference arises because sulfurous acid is a weak acid.
Explain the meaning of the term weak acid.
276 exam-style questions on Edexcel GCSE Chemistry 4.1 Acids, covering 4.1.1 Acids, alkalis and the pH scale, 4.1.2 Hydrogen ion concentration and pH, 4.1.3 Dilute and concentrated, weak and strong acids, 4.1.4 Bases, alkalis and the reactions of acids, 4.1.5 Chemical tests for hydrogen and carbon dioxide, 4.1.6 Neutralisation as a reaction of acids with bases, 4.1.7 Preparing soluble salts, and 4.1.8 Solubility rules and preparing insoluble salts. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.