15 Facts on HF + NH4OH: What, How To Balance & FAQs

by

Hydrogen fluoride (HF) and ammonium hydroxide (NH4OH) are inorganic compounds. Let us discuss the reaction involved between HF and NH4OH.

Ammonium Hydroxide (NH4OH) has a colorless appearance in the liquid state. NH4OH has a fishy pungent smell. NH4OH is widely used to produce nitrogen compounds. HF is a colorless, weak acid and corrosive in nature. HF is used to prepare fluorinated compounds.

This article discusses the product formed from HF + NH4OH, net ionic equation, equation reaction, type reversible reaction or Irreversible reaction, etc., discussed in detail.

What is the product of HF and NH4OH?

The product formed from the reaction HF (Hydrogen fluoride) + NH4OH is ammonia fluoride (NH4F) and water (H2O).

HF +  NH4OH  —>  NH4F +  H2O.

What type of reaction are HF and NH4OH?

HF + NH4OH is a neutralization reaction because a weak acid and a weak base react to form neutral salt and water.

How to balance HF and NH4OH?

  •  HF +  NH4OH  –>  NH4F +  H2O is the balanced chemical equation.
  • The equation is balanced, as shown below. The table represents the number of moles of elements on the reactants and products side:
ElementsReactantsProducts
H66
F11
N11
O11
Number of moles of reactants and products
  • The number of moles of all the elements in both reactants and product sides is equal.
  • The balanced equation is HF +  NH4OH  –>  NH4F +  H2O.

HF + NH4OH titration

The titration is carried out between HF + NH4OH to determine the concentration of acid or base, as given below.

Apparatus used

Burette, conical flask, wash bottle, burette stand, volumetric flask, beakers.

Indicator

No indicator is used because the titration is between a weak acid and a weak base, where a sharp change in pH is not noticed.

Procedure

  • The titration between a weak acid and base is carried out, but no sharp change in pH is observed. Therefore, titration is not useful for chemical analysis.
  • The burette is filled with NH4OH.
  • HF is taken in a conical flask from standardized HF, and the measure is noted.
  • The NH4OH in the burette is made to add to the conical flask dropwise with constant stirring.
  • After some time, a change in pH is observed, denoting the endpoint.
  • Repeat the above steps for three more values and note the final result.
  • Calculate the amount of acid or base by using the formula V1S1= V2S2.
hf nh4oh
weak acid weak base titration curve



HF + NH4OH net ionic equation

  • The net ionic equation of the reaction between HF and NH4OH is zero.
  • The compounds are shown in their states present and their ionic form as shown below:
  • H+(aq) + F–(aq)  + NH4+(aq)+ OH– (aq) –> NH4+(aq)+ F– (aq) + H+(aq)+OH –(aq).
  • The same elements with equal charges are canceled, and the final net ionic equation is zero.

Is  HF + NH4OH a conjugate pair?

  • The Conjugate base of HF is NH4F and the conjugate acid of NH4OH is H2O.
  • HF + NH4OH forms an acid-base conjugate pair by donating a Proton from an acid and accepting a Proton from the base.

HF + NH4OH intermolecular forces

  • HF + NH4OH reaction has the following intermolecular forces:
  • The intermolecular forces exhibited by HF are dipole-dipole interaction and hydrogen bonding.
  • NH4OH has hydrogen bonding.
  • NH4F exhibits covalent bonds and hydrogen bonding.
  • Hydrogen bonds and dipole-induced, dipole- London dispersion forces are present in the H2O molecule.

HF + NH4OH reaction enthalpy

The reaction enthalpy of HF + NH4OH is – 110.3 KJ/mol.

The table below represents the standard enthalpy of the formation of the molecule. 

MoleculesReaction enthalpy(KJ/mol)
HF-272.7
NH4OH-366.7
NH4F-463.9
H2O-285.8
Reaction enthalpy of molecules.

Reaction enthalpy= (standard enthalpy of formation of products) – (standard enthalpy of formation of reactants).

Is HF + NH4OH a buffer solution

HF + NH4OH forms a buffer solution because HF is a weak acid, and buffer solutions are formed from a weak acid and its respective conjugate base.

Is HF + NH4OH a complete reaction

HF + NH4OH is a complete reaction because no more products are formed from the reaction after the formation of NH4F.

Is HF + NH4OH an exothermic or endothermic reaction

The reaction between HF and NH4OH is exothermic because the reaction enthalpy value is negative.

Is  HF + NH4OH a redox reaction

The reaction between HF and NH4OH is not a redox reaction because only the precipitate is formed, and a change in oxidation state is unobserved.

Is HF + NH4OH a precipitation reaction

The reaction between HF and NH4OH is a precipitation reaction because the NH4F formed as product is a white-colored precipitate.

Is HF + NH4OH a reversible reaction or an irreversible reaction

The reaction between HF and NH4OH is irreversible because the products formed cannot be converted back to the reactants.

Is HF + NH4OH a displacement reaction

The reaction between HF and NH4OH is a double displacement because F displaces from HF to NH4, and OH gets displaced to H from NH4OH.

hf nh4oh do dis
Double displacement reaction.

Conclusion

Ammonium fluoride is a colorless white crystalline solid used for dying in textile industries. It is a corrosive compound to aluminum non-combustible. Ammonium hydroxide, generally known as ammonium water, is used to prepare Nitrogen compounds.