Question
Use the periodic table to complete the activity.
Periodic table showing electronegativity of elements, increasing left to right and bottom to top.
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.
Periodic table showing electronegativity of elements, increasing left to right and bottom to top.
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.
Answers
GPT-4o mini
In the reaction \( \text{H}_2\text{Se} + \text{H}_2\text{O} \rightarrow \text{SeH}^- + \text{H}_3\text{O}^+ \), the acid is \( \text{H}_2\text{Se} \), which donates a proton (H\(^+\)) to water. The base in this reaction is \( \text{H}_2\text{O} \), which accepts a proton to form the hydronium ion \( \text{H}_3\text{O}^+ \). The conjugate acid is \( \text{H}_3\text{O}^+ \), which forms from the base water, and the conjugate base is \( \text{SeH}^- \), which results from the acid \( \text{H}_2\text{Se} \) after it donates a proton.
The periodic table helps explain this behavior: hydrogen selenide (\( \text{H}_2\text{Se} \)) is a weak acid because selenium is less electronegative than oxygen, making it easier for \( \text{H}_2\text{Se} \) to donate a proton. Water is a base since it is capable of accepting a proton due to its oxygen atom being highly electronegative, which allows it to stabilize the positive charge of the resulting hydronium ion.
The periodic table helps explain this behavior: hydrogen selenide (\( \text{H}_2\text{Se} \)) is a weak acid because selenium is less electronegative than oxygen, making it easier for \( \text{H}_2\text{Se} \) to donate a proton. Water is a base since it is capable of accepting a proton due to its oxygen atom being highly electronegative, which allows it to stabilize the positive charge of the resulting hydronium ion.