Question

Draw the conjugate base for the acid CH2=CH2? Draw all hydrogens. Remember to include charges and non-bonding electrons where necessary.Draw the conjugate base for the acid CH₂=CH₂? Draw all hydrogens. Remember to include charges and non-bonding electrons where necessary.

Answer 1

The conjugate base of CH2=CH2 would be CH2=CH-, having one of the carbons carry a negative charge after the removal of a hydrogen ion (H+). This depiction is theoretical, as ethylene is a poor acid and unlikely to donate a proton under normal conditions.

Step-by-step explanation:

To find the conjugate base of ethylene, CH2=CH2, you would remove a hydrogen ion (H+), which is not typical for such compounds because they are poor acids. However, for the sake of understanding, if we assume it acts as an acid in a theoretical reaction, the conjugate base of CH2=CH2 would be CH2=CH-. This is because when it loses a hydrogen ion (H+), one of the carbon atoms will carry a negative charge and an additional pair of non-bonding electrons.

The Brønsted-Lowry Acid-Base Theory defines an acid as a species that donates a proton (hydrogen ion), and the base as one that accepts a proton. When applying this theory to the ethylene molecule (which is not typically acidic), it would result in the formation of a carbanion as its conjugate base after the loss of a proton.