} ▁ ▁Hyp ob rom ous ▁acid ▁is ▁un stable ▁to ▁dis pro port ion ation . ▁The ▁hyp ob rom ite ▁ ions ▁thus ▁formed ▁dis pro port ion ate ▁readily ▁to ▁give ▁b rom ide ▁and ▁b rom ate : ▁{ | ▁| - ▁| ▁ 3 ▁Br O − ▁▁ 2 ▁Br − ▁+ ▁ ▁|| ▁K ▁= ▁ 1 0 1 5 ▁| } ▁ ▁B rom ous ▁ac ids ▁and ▁b rom ites ▁are ▁very ▁un stable , ▁although ▁the ▁str ont ium ▁and ▁b arium ▁b rom ites ▁are ▁known . ▁More ▁important ▁are ▁the ▁b rom ates , ▁which ▁are ▁prepared ▁on ▁a ▁small ▁scale ▁by ▁ox id ation ▁of ▁b rom ide ▁by ▁a que ous ▁hy po ch lor ite , ▁and ▁are ▁strong ▁ox id ising ▁agents . ▁Un like ▁ch lor ates , ▁which ▁very ▁slowly ▁dis pro port ion ate ▁to ▁ch lor ide ▁and ▁per ch lor ate , ▁the ▁b rom ate ▁an ion ▁is ▁stable ▁to ▁dis pro port ion ation ▁in ▁both ▁acid ic ▁and ▁a que ous ▁solutions . ▁B rom ic ▁acid ▁is ▁a ▁strong ▁acid . ▁B rom ides ▁and ▁b rom ates ▁may ▁comp ro port ion ate ▁to ▁b rom ine ▁as ▁follows : ▁ ▁+ ▁ 5 ▁Br − ▁+ ▁ 6 ▁H + ▁→ ▁ 3 ▁Br 2 ▁+ ▁ 3 ▁H 2 O ▁ ▁There ▁were ▁many ▁failed ▁attempts ▁to ▁obtain ▁per b rom ates ▁and ▁per b rom