Question

Hydrogen selenide (H2Se) reacts with water according to the following equation.

H2Se + H2O → SeH– + H3O+

Identify the acid, base, conjugate acid, and conjugate base in this reaction

(4 points)
H2Se is a(n)


H2O is a(n)

SeH– is a(n)

H3O+ is a(n)

Answers

GPT-4o mini
In the reaction given:

\[ \text{H}_2\text{Se} + \text{H}_2\text{O} \rightarrow \text{SeH}^- + \text{H}_3\text{O}^+ \]

we can identify the roles of each species using the Bronsted-Lowry acid-base theory, which defines acids as proton donors and bases as proton acceptors.

1. **H2Se** is a(n) **acid** because it donates a proton (H⁺) to water.

2. **H2O** is a(n) **base** because it accepts a proton (H⁺) from H2Se.

3. **SeH⁻** is a(n) **conjugate base** of H2Se because it is what remains after H2Se donates a proton.

4. **H3O⁺** is a(n) **conjugate acid** of H2O because it is formed when water accepts a proton.

So, summarizing:
- H2Se is an acid.
- H2O is a base.
- SeH⁻ is a conjugate base.
- H3O⁺ is a conjugate acid.