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Ch.16 - Acid-Base Equilibria
Chapter 16, Problem 17d

Identify the Lewis acid and Lewis base among the reactants in each of the following reactions: (d) HIO1lq2 + NH2-1lq2 Δ NH31lq2 + IO-1lq2(lq denotes liquid ammonia as solvent)

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1
Identify the Lewis acid and Lewis base by understanding their definitions: A Lewis acid is an electron pair acceptor, and a Lewis base is an electron pair donor.
Examine the reactants: HIO and NH2-. Consider which species can donate an electron pair and which can accept an electron pair.
Recognize that NH2- has a lone pair of electrons that it can donate, making it a potential Lewis base.
Consider HIO, which can accept an electron pair to form a bond, making it a potential Lewis acid.
Conclude that in the reaction, NH2- acts as the Lewis base (electron pair donor) and HIO acts as the Lewis acid (electron pair acceptor).

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Lewis Acids and Bases

Lewis acids are substances that can accept an electron pair, while Lewis bases are those that can donate an electron pair. This definition expands the concept of acids and bases beyond protons (H+) to include electron pair interactions, making it applicable to a wider range of chemical reactions.
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Electron Pair Donation and Acceptance

In a Lewis acid-base reaction, the Lewis base donates an electron pair to the Lewis acid, forming a coordinate covalent bond. Understanding this interaction is crucial for identifying which reactant acts as the acid and which as the base in a given reaction.
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Solvent Effects

The solvent can influence the behavior of acids and bases in a reaction. In this case, liquid ammonia serves as a solvent, which can stabilize certain ions and affect the reactivity of the reactants, thereby impacting the identification of Lewis acids and bases in the reaction.
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