What is the dissociation of water represented by?

The dissociation of water occurs when water molecules break apart into ions. In the correct representation, two water molecules dissociate to form a hydronium ion (H3O^+) and a hydroxide ion (OH^-). This process is fundamental to understanding acid-base chemistry and the behavior of water in various chemical environments.

During dissociation, one water molecule donates a proton (H^+) to another water molecule, creating the H3O^+ ion, which is more commonly involved in acid-base reactions. Meanwhile, the water molecule that loses the proton becomes the hydroxide ion (OH^-). This equilibrium is crucial in determining the pH of solutions and is essential to many chemical processes in aqueous solutions.

In contrast, other representations do not reflect the actual dissociation that occurs in water. They involve incorrect stoichiometries or products that do not exist in the context of water dissociation, such as hydrogen gas (H2) and oxygen gas (O2), which are not the species formed in this fundamental ionic process.