Ch.16 - Acid-Base Equilibria

Brown - Chemistry: The Central Science 15th Edition

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Brown 15th Edition

Ch.16 - Acid-Base Equilibria

Problem 24a

Chapter 16, Problem 24a

Write an equation for the reaction in which H2C6H7O5-1aq2 acts as a base in H2O1l2.

Verified step by step guidance

Step 1: Identify the base in the reaction. In this case, the base is H2C6H7O5-1(aq). A base is a substance that can accept a proton (H+).

Step 2: Identify the other reactant in the reaction. In this case, it is H2O(l). Water can act as both an acid and a base, but in this reaction, it will act as an acid, meaning it will donate a proton (H+).

Step 3: Write the reaction equation. The base (H2C6H7O5-1) will accept a proton from the acid (H2O), forming its conjugate acid (H3C6H7O5) and the conjugate base of water (OH-).

Step 4: The final equation for the reaction is: H2C6H7O5-1(aq) + H2O(l) ⇌ H3C6H7O5(aq) + OH-(aq).

Step 5: Remember that in an acid-base reaction, the acid donates a proton and the base accepts a proton. The substance that the acid becomes after donating a proton is called its conjugate base, and the substance that the base becomes after accepting a proton is called its conjugate acid.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Acid-Base Theory

Acid-base theory explains the behavior of acids and bases in chemical reactions. According to the Brønsted-Lowry theory, an acid is a proton donor, while a base is a proton acceptor. In the context of the given question, H2C6H7O5- acts as a base by accepting a proton (H+) from water, which is crucial for writing the correct reaction equation.

Dissociation of Water

Water (H2O) can dissociate into hydronium (H3O+) and hydroxide (OH-) ions. This equilibrium is essential in acid-base reactions, as it provides the protons that acids donate and the hydroxide ions that bases can interact with. Understanding this dissociation helps in predicting the products of the reaction when H2C6H7O5- acts as a base.

Chemical Equation Representation

A chemical equation represents the reactants and products of a chemical reaction. It must be balanced to reflect the conservation of mass. In this case, writing the equation for the reaction involves showing H2C6H7O5- accepting a proton from water, resulting in the formation of H3O+ and the conjugate acid of H2C6H7O5-, which is essential for accurately depicting the reaction.

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Textbook Question

Write an equation for the reaction in which H2C6H7O5-1aq2 acts as an acid in H2O1l2.

Textbook Question

Identify the Brønsted–Lowry acid and the Brønsted– Lowry base on the left side of each equation, and also identify the conjugate acid and conjugate base of each on the right side.

(a) HBrO(aq) + H₂O(l) ⇌ H₃O⁺(aq) + BrO^-(aq)

(b) HSO₄^-(aq) + HCO₃^-(aq) ⇌ SO₄^2-(aq) + H₂CO₃(aq)

Textbook Question

The hydrogen sulfite ion 1HSO3-2 is amphiprotic. Write a balanced chemical equation showing how it acts as an acid toward water and another equation showing how it acts as a base toward water.

Textbook Question

What is the conjugate acid of HSO3-? What is its conjugate base?

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Textbook Question

Label each of the following as being a strong base, a weak base, or a species with negligible basicity. In each case write the formula of its conjugate acid, and indicate whether the conjugate acid is a strong acid, a weak acid, or a species with negligible acidity: (a) CH3COO-

Textbook Question