Question

Give reason for the following:
Sodium hydrogen sulphate is not an acid but it dissolves in water to give hydrogen ions, according to the equation
$NaHS{O_4} \rightleftharpoons {H^ + } + N{a^ + } + S{O_4}^{2 - }$

Answer 1

Hint : An acid is any substance that ionizes when it dissolves in water to give the ${H^ + }$ , or hydrogen, ion. It includes compounds such as HCl, HCN, and ${H_2}S{O_4}$ that ionize in water to give the ${H^ + }$ ion. It also explains why acids neutralize bases. Sodium Hydrogen Sulphate is, therefore, not an acid, however, it is an acidic salt.

Complete Step By Step Answer:
Sodium Hydrogen Sulphate is formed by the reaction of Sodium Hydroxide and Sulphuric acid. It has a formula $NaHS{O_4}$ . It is also known as Sodium bisulphate. Sodium bisulfate is an acid salt formed when sulfuric acid is partially neutralised by an equivalent of sodium base, usually sodium hydroxide or sodium chloride (table salt).
$NaOH + {H_2}S{O_4} \to NaHS{O_4} + {H_2}O$
This is a type of neutralization reaction.
Although sodium hydrogen sulphate is not an acid, it does dissolve in water and release hydrogen ions. Sodium hydrogen sulphate ( $NaHS{O_4}$ ) is an acid salt that is formed when the replaceable hydrogen ion in a dibasic acid is partially replaced. It takes on the properties of an acid.
Sodium Hydrogen Sulphate contains one of the hydrogen ions given by sulphuric acid , therefore it can donate ${H^ + }$ ion to a strong base such as NaOH even though it is not an acid. The reaction is as follows:
$NaHS{O_4} + NaOH \to N{a_2}S{O_4} + {H_2}O$
Conclusion: Sodium Hydrogen Sulphate is not an acid but it dissolves in water to give hydrogen ions.

Note :
Sodium bisulfate is primarily used to reduce pH. It's also used in metal finishing, cleaning products, and to lower the pH of water in swimming pools and hot tubs for effective chlorination. AAFCO has approved sodium bisulfate as a general-purpose feed additive, which includes companion animal food.