In one paragraph, 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.

Answer 1

To identify the acid, base, conjugate acid, and conjugate base in a typical acid-base reaction, we can consider a common example: NH₃ + H₂O ⇌ NH₄⁺ + OH⁻. In this reaction, water (H₂O) acts as the acid since it donates a proton (H⁺) due to its ability to form hydrogen bonds and its relatively high electronegativity, allowing it to stabilize the positive charge after losing a proton. Ammonia (NH₃) acts as the base because it accepts the proton, and nitrogen's position in the periodic table indicates it can effectively share its lone pair of electrons to form a bond with the proton. Consequently, the resulting ammonium ion (NH₄⁺) is the conjugate acid, as it is the species formed when NH₃ accepts a proton. The hydroxide ion (OH⁻) is the conjugate base, formed when H₂O donates a proton, and its basic nature can be attributed to its ability to accept protons, as oxygen is also highly electronegative and can stabilize the negative charge.