Table of contents

1. A Review of General Chemistry5h 5m
2. Molecular Representations1h 14m
3. Acids and Bases2h 46m
4. Alkanes and Cycloalkanes4h 17m
5. Chirality3h 39m
6. Thermodynamics and Kinetics1h 22m
7. Substitution Reactions1h 48m
8. Elimination Reactions2h 30m
9. Alkenes and Alkynes2h 9m
10. Addition Reactions3h 19m
11. Radical Reactions1h 58m
12. Alcohols, Ethers, Epoxides and Thiols2h 42m
13. Alcohols and Carbonyl Compounds2h 17m
14. Synthetic Techniques1h 26m
15. Analytical Techniques:IR, NMR, Mass Spect7h 3m
16. Conjugated Systems6h 13m
17. Ultraviolet Spectroscopy51m
18. Aromaticity2h 34m
19. Reactions of Aromatics: EAS and Beyond5h 1m
20. Phenols55m
21. Aldehydes and Ketones: Nucleophilic Addition4h 56m
22. Carboxylic Acid Derivatives: NAS2h 51m
23. The Chemistry of Thioesters, Phophate Ester and Phosphate Anhydrides1h 10m
24. Enolate Chemistry: Reactions at the Alpha-Carbon1h 53m
25. Condensation Chemistry2h 9m
26. Amines1h 43m
27. Heterocycles2h 0m
28. Carbohydrates5h 53m
29. Amino Acids4h 20m
30. Peptides and Proteins2h 42m
31. Catalysis in Organic Reactions1h 30m
32. Lipids 2h 50m
33. The Organic Chemistry of Metabolic Pathways2h 52m
34. Nucleic Acids1h 32m
35. Transition Metals6h 14m
36. Synthetic Polymers1h 49m

3. Acids and Bases

Acids and Bases

Organic Chemistry

3. Acids and Bases

Acids and Bases

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3:06 minutes

Problem 42e

Textbook Question

Predict the products of the following acid–base reactions.
(e) H₂O + NH₃ ⇌

Verified step by step guidance

Identify the acid and base in the reaction. In this case, water (H2O) can act as an acid, donating a proton (H⁺), and ammonia (NH3) can act as a base, accepting a proton.

Write the chemical equation for the proton transfer. Water donates a proton to ammonia, forming hydroxide ion (OH⁻) and ammonium ion (NH4⁺).

Use MathML to represent the chemical equation:

H 2 O + NH 3 ⇌ OH - + NH 4 +

Consider the equilibrium of the reaction. The double arrow (⇌) indicates that the reaction can proceed in both directions, meaning the products can revert to reactants.

Understand the concept of conjugate acid-base pairs. In this reaction, NH3 and NH4⁺ are a conjugate acid-base pair, and H2O and OH⁻ are another conjugate acid-base pair.

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Key Concepts

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

Acid-Base Reaction

An acid-base reaction involves the transfer of a proton (H+) from an acid to a base. In the given reaction, water (H2O) acts as an acid, donating a proton to ammonia (NH3), which acts as a base. Understanding the roles of acids and bases is crucial for predicting the products of such reactions.

Bronsted-Lowry Acid and Base

The Bronsted-Lowry theory defines acids as proton donors and bases as proton acceptors. In the reaction H2O + NH3, H2O donates a proton to NH3, forming OH- and NH4+. This concept helps in identifying the conjugate acid-base pairs and predicting the products formed in the reaction.

Conjugate Acid-Base Pair

A conjugate acid-base pair consists of two species that differ by a proton. In the reaction, H2O and OH- form a conjugate acid-base pair, while NH3 and NH4+ form another. Recognizing these pairs is essential for understanding the equilibrium and direction of acid-base reactions.