Hydrogen selenide (H2Se) reacts with water according to the following equation.
H2Se + H20 -> SeH-+ H30+
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.
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In this reaction, H2Se acts as the acid while water acts as the base. The conjugate acid is SeH- and the conjugate base is H3O+. The acidity of a compound depends on its ability to donate a proton (H+ ion), while the basicity depends on its ability to accept a proton. Hydrogen selenide (H2Se) is an acid because it can donate a proton, and water is a base because it can accept a proton. This can be explained by looking at the periodic table - as we move down Group 16 (Chalcogens) in the periodic table, the acidity of the hydrogen compounds decreases, so H2Se is a stronger acid than H2O.
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