Question

Consider the following reaction: NO2 - + HCO3 - ⇌ CO3 2- + HNO2. Identify the acid, base, conjugate acid, and conjugate base.

A) HCO3 - is the acid, NO2 - is the base, HNO2 is the conjugate acid, CO3 2- is the conjugate base.
B) HCO3 - is the base, NO2 - is the acid, HNO2 is the conjugate base, CO3 2- is the conjugate acid.
C) HCO3 - is the acid, NO2 - is the base, HNO2 is the conjugate base, CO3 2- is the conjugate acid.
D) HCO3 - is the base, NO2 - is the acid, HNO2 is the conjugate acid, CO3 2- is the conjugate base.

Answer 1

In the given reaction, HCO3- is the Brønsted-Lowry acid that becomes CO3^2-, the conjugate base, and NO2- is the Brønsted-Lowry base that becomes HNO2, the conjugate acid; the correct answer is option A.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the reaction NO2- + HCO3- ⇌ CO32- + HNO2, we can identify the acid, base, conjugate acid, and conjugate base by examining how the substances exchange a proton.

HCO3- donates a proton and thus is the Brønsted-Lowry acid; when it loses the proton, it forms CO32-, which is the conjugate base. On the other side of the equation, NO2- accepts a proton, functioning as the Brønsted-Lowry base, and becomes HNO2, the conjugate acid.

Therefore, the correct identification is: HCO3- is the acid, NO2- is the base, CO32- is the conjugate base, and HNO2 is the conjugate acid, which corresponds to option A.