Question
Hydrogen selenide (H2Se) reacts with water according to the following equation.
H2Se + H2O -> SeH- + H3O+
In three to five sentences, identify the acid, base, conjugate acid, and conjugate base in this reaction. Use the periodic table to explain why each substance acted as the acid or the base in this reaction.
H2Se + H2O -> SeH- + H3O+
In three to five sentences, identify the acid, base, conjugate acid, and conjugate base in this reaction. Use the periodic table to explain why each substance acted as the acid or the base in this reaction.
Answers
GPT-4o mini
In the reaction between hydrogen selenide (H2Se) and water, H2Se acts as the acid, while water (H2O) functions as the base. This is because H2Se donates a proton (H+) to water, forming the hydroselenide ion (SeH-) and the hydronium ion (H3O+). The conjugate acid in this reaction is H3O+, which is formed when water accepts a proton, and the conjugate base is SeH-, the species that remains after H2Se donates a proton.
The behavior of H2Se as an acid can be attributed to its sulfur group chemistry; being a group 16 element like sulfur, it has a relatively low electronegativity compared to oxygen. This allows H2Se to more readily donate protons. Water acts as a base here due to its high electronegativity, which enables it to effectively stabilize the additional proton it receives, resulting in the formation of the hydronium ion.
The behavior of H2Se as an acid can be attributed to its sulfur group chemistry; being a group 16 element like sulfur, it has a relatively low electronegativity compared to oxygen. This allows H2Se to more readily donate protons. Water acts as a base here due to its high electronegativity, which enables it to effectively stabilize the additional proton it receives, resulting in the formation of the hydronium ion.