Question

Look at your Lewis structure of the nitric acid above. Compare thatto the structure of a nitrate ion. Different sites on the nitrateion function as Lewis acids and Lewis Bases. Remember: a Lewis baseis an e- pair donor. A Lewis acid is an e- pair acceptor.

Which statements below are true for the nitrate ion?

-The Nfunctions as a Lewis Acidic site, and the O's function as LewisBasic sites.
-The Nand O's function as a Lewis Basic Sites.
-The O'sfunction as a Lewis Acidic sites, and the N functions as a LewisBasic site.
-The Nand O's function as a Lewis Acidic sites.

Answer 1

The nitrogen and oxygen atoms in nitric acid and nitrate ions can function as Lewis bases by donating electron pairs. Oxygen atoms in the nitrate ion, due to their negative charge, are more potent Lewis bases, while under certain conditions, the nitrogen atom can be a Lewis acid.

Step-by-step explanation:

When comparing nitric acid to a nitrate ion, it's important to understand how the atoms in each molecule can act as Lewis acids and Lewis bases. In nitric acid, the nitrogen atom can function as a Lewis base because it has a lone pair of electrons that it can donate. Similarly, the oxygen atoms in both nitric acid and the nitrate ion can also act as Lewis bases due to their lone pairs. However, the nature of the oxygen atoms changes in a nitrate ion; since they carry a negative charge, they are even more inclined to donate electron pairs.

Additionally, in the case of nitrate ions, metal ions can interact with the negatively charged oxygen atoms, and the nitrogen atom can potentially accept electron pairs, which would allow them to serve as Lewis acidic sites in certain contexts, such as in coordination complexes. This dual potential enables the structures to take part in a variety of acid-base reactions.