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 patterns in the periodic table to explain why the substances you identified acted as the acid and the base in this reaction.
In this reaction, H2Se acts as the acid and H2O acts as the base. H2Se donates a proton (H+) to H2O, which accepts the proton. Thus, H2Se is the acid because it donates the proton, and H2O is the base because it accepts the proton.
The conjugate acid in the reaction is H3O+ (hydronium ion), which is formed when H2O gains a proton from H2Se. The conjugate base is SeH- (selenide ion), which is formed when H2Se loses a proton.
The reason behind these identifications lies in the electronegativity difference between the elements. Sulfur is more electronegative than hydrogen but less electronegative than oxygen. Therefore, H2Se is able to donate a proton (acting as an acid) to H2O, which has a higher electron density due to the presence of oxygen (acting as a base). This proton transfer allows for the formation of the conjugate acid and conjugate base in the reaction.
Describe how you could adjust the settings of the simulation to increase the number of red (H3O+) and blue (A-) particles in the solution of equilibrium. In three to four sentences, justify your answer and explain how and why this would change the pH of the solution.
To increase the number of H3O+ (red) and A- (blue) particles in the solution of equilibrium, one could adjust the settings of the simulation by increasing the initial concentration of H2Se and decreasing the initial concentration of H2O. By increasing the concentration of the acid (H2Se), more H3O+ ions will be formed, resulting in an increase in the number of red particles. Decreasing the concentration of the base (H2O) will cause more A- ions to be produced, leading to an increase in the number of blue particles.
These adjustments would change the pH of the solution because pH is a measure of the concentration of H3O+ ions in a solution. As the number of red particles (H3O+) increases, the concentration of H3O+ ions will increase, resulting in a decrease in pH. Conversely, as the number of blue particles (A-) increases, the concentration of H3O+ ions will decrease, leading to an increase in pH. Therefore, by adjusting the settings of the simulation as described, the pH of the solution can be manipulated.
In this reaction, H2Se acts as the acid, while H2O acts as the base. H2Se donates a proton (H+) to water, making it the acid. H2O accepts the proton and forms the hydronium ion (H3O+), which makes it the base. The conjugate acid is SeH–, which is formed when H2Se loses a proton, and the conjugate base is H3O+, which is formed when H2O gains a proton.
The identification of the acid and base in this reaction can be explained by looking at the periodic table. H2Se is a hydrogen compound of the element selenium (Se), while H2O is a compound of the element oxygen (O). In general, nonmetallic elements towards the right side of the periodic table tend to act as non-metallic acids, while elements towards the left side tend to act as bases. Since selenium is a nonmetallic element towards the right side, it acts as the acid in this reaction. Oxygen, being towards the left side, acts as the base by accepting the proton from H2Se.
In the given equation, H2Se is the acid and H2O is the base. When H2Se donates a proton (H+) to H2O, it forms SeH–, which is the conjugate base. Similarly, H2O accepts the proton to form H3O+, which is the conjugate acid.
To understand why H2Se acts as the acid and H2O as the base, you can look at their positions in the periodic table. Hydrogen selenide (H2Se) is a binary compound consisting of hydrogen (H) and selenium (Se). In general, when hydrogen is combined with the elements from Group 16, such as oxygen (O), sulfur (S), or selenium (Se), it tends to act as an acid by donating a proton (H+).
On the other hand, water (H2O) contains oxygen, which is a highly electronegative element. Oxygen is capable of accepting a proton, making H2O a base in this reaction. The acidic or basic behavior of a substance can often be predicted based on the electronegativity and bonding characteristics of the elements involved.