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Chapter 14: Problem 26

In terms of orbitals and electron arrangements, what must be present for a molecule or an ion to act as a Lewis acid? What must be present for a molecule or an ion to act as a Lewis base?

Short Answer

Expert verified
In order for a molecule or ion to act as a Lewis acid, it must have an empty orbital and a central atom with an incomplete octet or positive charge, allowing it to accept electrons. For a molecule or ion to act as a Lewis base, it must have a lone pair of electrons available for donation and an electronegative central atom that can efficiently donate the electron pair to form a coordinate covalent bond.

Step by step solution

01

Definition of Lewis Acid and Lewis Base

A Lewis acid is a molecule or ion that can accept a lone pair of electrons, while a Lewis base is a molecule or ion that can donate a lone pair of electrons.
02

Properties of a Lewis Acid

For a molecule or an ion to act as a Lewis acid, it should have the following properties: 1. It should have an empty orbital to accept the lone pair of electrons. This is generally associated with electron-deficient species, such as boron trifluoride (BF3) or aluminum chloride (AlCl3). 2. It should possess a central atom with an incomplete octet or a positive charge that can accept electrons, thus stabilizing the system.
03

Properties of a Lewis Base

For a molecule or an ion to act as a Lewis base, it should have the following properties: 1. It should have a lone pair of electrons that are readily available to be donated. This is generally associated with electron-rich species, such as ammonia (NH3) or water (H2O). 2. It should have an electronegative central atom that can efficiently hold onto the electron pair and donate it accordingly to form a coordinate covalent bond. In summary, a Lewis acid should have an empty orbital and an ability to accept electrons, while a Lewis base should have a lone pair of electrons and an ability to donate them.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Place the species in each of the following groups in order of increasing acid strength. Explain the order you chose for each group. a. \(\mathrm{HIO}_{3}, \mathrm{HBrO}_{3}\) b. \(\mathrm{HNO}_{2}, \mathrm{HNO}_{3}\) c. HOCl, HOI d. \(\mathrm{H}_{3} \mathrm{PO}_{4}, \mathrm{H}_{3} \mathrm{PO}_{3}\)

Place the species in each of the following groups in order of increasing base strength. Give your reasoning in each case. a. \(\mathrm{IO}_{3}^{-}, \mathrm{BrO}_{3}^{-}\) b. \(\mathrm{NO}_{2}^{-}, \mathrm{NO}_{3}^{-}\) c. \(\mathrm{OCl}^{-}, \mathrm{OI}^{-}\)

The pH of \(1.0 \times 10^{-8} M\) hydrochloric acid is not \(8.00 .\) The correct pH can be calculated by considering the relationship between the molarities of the three principal ions in the solution $\left(\mathrm{H}^{+}, \mathrm{Cl}^{-}, \text { and } \mathrm{OH}^{-}\right) .$ These molarities can be calculated from algebraic equations that can be derived from the considerations given below. a. The solution is electrically neutral. b. The hydrochloric acid can be assumed to be 100\(\%\) ionized. c. The product of the molarities of the hydronium ions and the hydroxide ions must equal \(K_{w}\) Calculate the pH of a \(1.0 \times 10^{-8}-M\) HCl solution.

Sodium azide \(\left(\mathrm{NaN}_{3}\right)\) is sometimes added to water to kill bacteria. Calculate the concentration of all species in a \(0.010-M\) solution of \(\mathrm{NaN}_{3} .\) The \(K_{\mathrm{a}}\) value for hydrazoic acid (HN_) is \(1.9 \times 10^{-5} .\)

Which of the following represent conjugate acid-base pairs? For those pairs that are not conjugates, write the correct conjugate acid or base for each species in the pair. a. \(\mathrm{H}_{2} \mathrm{O}, \mathrm{OH}^{-}\) b. \(\mathrm{H}_{2} \mathrm{SO}_{4}, \mathrm{SO}_{4}^{2-}\) c. \(\mathrm{H}_{3} \mathrm{PO}_{4}, \mathrm{H}_{2} \mathrm{PO}_{4}^{-}\) d. $\mathrm{HC}_{2} \mathrm{H}_{3} \mathrm{O}_{2}, \mathrm{C}_{2} \mathrm{H}_{3} \mathrm{O}_{2}^{-}$
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