In: Chemistry
Let’s consider the dissociation of phosphoric acid H3PO4. All four possible protonation states, with H number from zero to three, must co-exist in equilibrium.
H3PO4 <-> H2PO4- <-> HPO42- <-> PO43-
pK1=2 pK2=7 pK3=12
Find relative populations of all four states at the pH of the human blood, ~7.4.