How do the components of a conjugate acid–base
pair differ from one another? Give an example of a
conjugate acid–base pair to illustrate your answer.
One has more H^+ than the other for an acid. For example
H2CO3 ==> H^+ + HCO3^-
H2CO3 is the acid; HCO3^- is the base of the conjugate pair.
HCO3^- ==> H^+ + CO3^2-
HCO3^- is the acid and CO3^2- is the base. of the conjugate pair
NH4^+ ==> NH3 + H^+
NH4^+ is the acid and NH3 is the base.
How about SO3^2- + H^+ ==> HSO4^-
Can you do that one?
HSO4^- is the acid and SO3^2 is the base
The components of a conjugate acid-base pair differ from each other by the presence or absence of a proton (H+). In a conjugate acid-base pair, the acid donates a proton, while the base accepts the proton.
For example, the conjugate acid-base pair of water (H2O) is formed by the donation and acceptance of a proton. Water can function as both an acid and a base.
1. Water acting as an acid: Water donates a proton (H+) to form its conjugate base, which is called the hydroxide ion (OH-).
H2O (acid) -> H+ + OH- (conjugate base)
2. Water acting as a base: Water accepts a proton (H+) to form its conjugate acid, which is called the hydronium ion (H3O+).
H2O (base) + H+ -> H3O+ (conjugate acid)
In this example, water (H2O) and its conjugate acid, the hydronium ion (H3O+), differ by the presence of a proton. Similarly, water (H2O) and its conjugate base, the hydroxide ion (OH-), differ by the absence of a proton.
In a conjugate acid-base pair, the two components differ by the presence or absence of a proton (H+ ion). Here's how the components differ:
1. Acid: The acid is the species that donates a proton in a chemical reaction. It loses a proton to become its conjugate base. An acid is typically a molecule or ion that has an available proton to donate.
2. Base: The base is the species that accepts a proton in a chemical reaction. It gains a proton to become its conjugate acid. A base is often a molecule or ion that has a lone pair of electrons available to form a bond with a proton.
To illustrate this, let's take the example of the acid-base pair involving hydrochloric acid (HCl) and chloride ion (Cl-):
1. Hydrochloric acid (HCl) is the acid. It donates a proton (H+) during a chemical reaction.
2. Chloride ion (Cl-) is the conjugate base. It accepts the proton (H+) to become its conjugate acid.
So, in this example, HCl is the acid, and Cl- is its conjugate base. They differ by the presence or absence of a proton (H+).