Use the periodic table to complete the activity. 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. (4 points)

Answer 1

In the reaction between hydrogen selenide (H2Se) and water (H2O), hydrogen selenide acts as the acid, while water functions as the base. The conjugate acid formed in the reaction is the hydronium ion (H3O+), which is generated when water accepts a proton (H+) from H2Se. The conjugate base is the selenide ion (SeH−), which is produced when H2Se donates a proton.

The identification of H2Se as the acid can be attributed to its ability to donate protons due to the relatively weak bond between hydrogen and selenium, aided by selenium's larger atomic size and electronegativity compared to hydrogen. Water acts as a base because it has available lone pairs on the oxygen atom to accept the proton, creating a hydronium ion. The transfer of protons demonstrates the characteristics of Brønsted-Lowry acids and bases, where acids are proton donors and bases are proton acceptors.