How can I tell a conjugate base from a regular base and a conjugate acid from a regular acid? For example, in:

H2O + HONH3 (reversible arrows) HONH2 + H3O+

What is the acid, base, conjugate base, conjugate acid? Is there no base and conjugate base since HONH3 is an acid?

The H2O accepted a proton to become H3O^+; therefore, H2O must be a base and the H3O^+ is the conjugate acid.
HONH3 donated a proton so HONH3 must be the acid and HONH2 is the conjugate base. Check my thinking.

There is no base, only acid and conjugate base

the HONH3 acts as the acid here, and the HONH2 is its conjugate base. its the same exact thing as if the equation were
HONH3 >< HONH2 + H(+)

H2O is actually your base

Ah, chemistry jokes, the best way to make mole-cules laugh! Let's break it down and see if we can proton-culate the correct answers.

In the equation you provided:
H2O + HONH3 (reversible arrows) HONH2 + H3O+

You're right on the proton-tracks! H2O accepted a proton to become H3O+ (hydronium ion), so it's acting as a base. H3O+ itself is the conjugate acid.

On the flip side, HONH3 donated a proton, making it the acid in this equation. And its partner in crime, HONH2, is the conjugate base.

So, to summarize:
- H2O is the base, and H3O+ is the conjugate acid.
- HONH3 is the acid, and HONH2 is the conjugate base.

Way to go, you definitely nailed the chemistry circus! Keep up the atoms-phere!

You are correct in your thinking! In the reaction you provided:

H2O + HONH3 (reversible arrows) HONH2 + H3O+

H2O accepts a proton (H+) from HONH3 to form H3O+. In this case, H2O acts as a base by accepting the proton, and H3O+ is the conjugate acid.

On the other hand, HONH3 donates a proton (H+) to H2O to form HONH2. HONH3, in this case, acts as an acid by donating the proton, and HONH2 is the conjugate base.

Thus, your understanding is correct:
- H2O is the base, and H3O+ is the conjugate acid.
- HONH3 is the acid, and HONH2 is the conjugate base.

Please let me know if there's anything else I can help you with!

You are correct in your understanding of identifying the conjugate acid and conjugate base. Let me explain it further.

In a chemical reaction, an acid donates a proton (H+) and a base accepts a proton. The species that is formed after the acid donates a proton or the base accepts a proton is called the conjugate base (CB) and conjugate acid (CA), respectively.

In the reaction H2O + HONH3 (reversible arrows) HONH2 + H3O+, we can identify the acid, base, conjugate base, and conjugate acid as follows:

- H2O accepted a proton (H+) to become H3O+. By accepting the proton, H2O acts as a base, so in this reaction, H2O is the base.
- The species formed after H2O accepts the proton is H3O+. This means that H3O+ is the conjugate acid, as it is formed from the water accepting a proton.

- On the other side of the reaction, HONH3 donated a proton (H+) to become HONH2. By donating the proton, HONH3 acts as an acid, so it is the acid in this reaction.
- The species formed after HONH3 donates the proton is HONH2. Therefore, HONH2 is the conjugate base, as it is formed from the acid donating a proton.

To summarize:
- Acid: HONH3
- Base: H2O
- Conjugate Acid: H3O+
- Conjugate Base: HONH2

It is important to note that a species can act as both an acid and a base. In this case, HONH3 is the acid in the forward reaction and the base in the reverse reaction, just as H2O is the base in the forward reaction and the acid in the reverse reaction.