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.
is this right?
acid = H2Se
base = H2O,
conjugate acid = SeH-
conjugate base = H3O+.
Also, what are the patterns?
H2Se + H2O → SeH– + H3O+
acid = H2Se --right
base = H2O--right
BUT, you need to identify the PAIR.
H2Se/SeH^- is one pair.
H2O/H3O^+ is another pair.
Generally those elements on the right of the table, i.e., N^3-, S^2-, Se^2-, Cl^-, act as bases.
So if H2Se is the acid then SeH^- is the conjugate base of the pair.
and H2O is the base so H3O^+ is the conjugate acid of the pair.
Thank you so much DrBob222, youre a great help
Thank you Dr. Bob we didn't even learn this in class!!! why do they spring this on us
Yes, your identification of the acid, base, conjugate acid, and conjugate base in the reaction is correct. In this reaction, H2Se (hydrogen selenide) acts as the acid because it donates a proton (H+) to the water molecule. Therefore, H2Se is the acid. Water (H2O) acts as the base because it accepts the proton from H2Se. The resulting species, SeH- (selenide ion), is the conjugate base of H2Se, and H3O+ (hydronium ion) is the conjugate acid of water.
As for the patterns, it is observed that elements on the left side of the periodic table, such as hydrogen in this case, tend to act as acids because they readily donate their protons. On the other hand, elements on the right side of the periodic table, such as oxygen and sulfur, tend to act as bases because they readily accept protons. This pattern reflects the electronegativity difference between these elements and their ability to attract or donate electrons.
Yes, your identification of the acid, base, conjugate acid, and conjugate base in the reaction H2Se + H2O → SeH- + H3O+ is correct. The acid is H2Se (hydrogen selenide) because it donates a proton (H+) to the base, which is H2O (water) in this case. The conjugate acid is SeH- (selenide ion), which is formed by accepting the proton from H2Se. The conjugate base is H3O+ (hydronium ion), which is formed when H2O accepts the proton and gains an extra hydrogen ion.
In terms of patterns in the periodic table, the substances identified as the acid and base in this reaction can be understood by looking at the electronegativities of the elements involved. Hydrogen is less electronegative than oxygen and selenium. Therefore, in a water molecule (H2O), hydrogen has a partial positive charge, making it more likely to donate a proton and act as an acid. In hydrogen selenide (H2Se), selenium is more electronegative than hydrogen, resulting in a polar bond and making hydrogen more acidic. Additionally, oxygen in water has a higher electronegativity compared to selenium in hydrogen selenide, making water more likely to accept a proton and act as a base.
It's important to note that analyzing the electronegativity difference is just one way to understand acid-base reactions and there are other factors that can influence the acidity or basicity of a molecule.