Question #bc43f

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Question #bc43f

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Answer 1 · 2015-01-15T01:33:26

When an acid reacts with water, it forms a hydronium ion plus the conjugate base of the original acid. Likewise, when a base reacts with water, it forms hydroxide ion plus the conjugate acid of the original base.

Using generic symbol HA for a weak acid, we can write the following balanced proton transfer reaction with water:

$H A + H_{2} O \leftrightarrow A^{-} + H_{3} O^{+}$ $HA + H_2O harr A^(-) + H_3O^+$

Because $A^{-}$ $A^(-)$ differs from $H A$ $HA$ only by the proton that was lost to water, we say that $A^{_}$ $A^(_)$ is the conjugate base of the acid $H A$ $HA$ . Likewise, HA is the conjugate acid of the base $A^{-}$ $A^(-)$ . In other words, $H A$ $HA$ and $A^{-}$ $A^(-)$ form a conjugate acid-base pair.

In the same way, we can write a balanced proton transfer reaction of a base, $B$ $B$ , with water:

$B + H_{2} O \leftrightarrow B H^{+} + O H^{-}$ $B + H_2O harr BH^+ + OH^(-)$

For the same reasons as above, we say that $B H^{+}$ $BH^+$ and $B$ $B$ form a conjugate acid-base pair.

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