Hydrogen selenide (H_{2}*Se) reacts with water according to the following equation H 2 Se+H 2 O SeH^ - +H 3 O^ + In three to five sentences, identify the acid, base, conjugate acid, and conjugate base in this reaction. Use patterns in the periodic table to explain why the substances you identified acted as the acid and the base in this reaction

Answer 1

In this reaction, hydrogen selenide (H2Se) acts as the acid, while water (H2O) acts as the base. The conjugate acid is SeH- and the conjugate base is H3O+. Hydrogen selenide donates a proton (H+) to water, making it the acid, while water accepts the proton and forms the hydronium ion (H3O+), making it the base. The acidic properties of hydrogen selenide can be attributed to the fact that selenium (Se) is a nonmetal located in Group 16 of the periodic table, which tends to exhibit acidic properties when combined with hydrogen. Similarly, the basic properties of water can be attributed to the oxygen atom being a more electronegative element, which allows it to attract and accept protons.