Question

What substance is acting as the Brønsted-Lowry acid in the forward reaction below? H2O + NH3 yields NH4+ + OH- NH3 H2O NH4+ OH-

Answer 1

NH3

Step-by-step explanation:

"Brønsted acid is determined by its tendency to donate a proton and Brønsted base is determined by its tendency to accept a proton."

In this case, NH3 is the base gaining a proton from H2O but NH3 is the base.

(I got this right on my test)

Answer 2

Hello!

The substance that is acting as the Brønsted-Lowry Acid is H₂O

This is the chemical reaction:

H₂O + NH₃ → NH₄⁺ + OH⁻

In the Brønsted-Lowry Acid Concept, an Acid is a substance which donates a proton, and a Base is a substance which accepts protons. To know which compounds are acids and which are bases in this theory, we need to look at the proton movements. H₂O (The Acid) is donating a proton to NH₃ (The base), to produce NH₄⁺ (An acid) and OH⁻ (A base). Water is not commonly seen as an acid, but in this reaction, it is a Brønsted-Lowry Acid.

Have a nice day!