Question

Why is NH3 not considered a base under the Arrhenius definition of acids and bases?

SELECT AN ANSWER

a. It does not react with acids.
b. NH3(aq) does not contain OH- ions.
c. NH3 is considered a base under the Arrhenius definition, but not under the Bronsted-Lowry definition.
d. It does not cause a color change when mixed with an acid-base (pH) indicator.

Answer 1

b. NH3(aq) does not contain OH- ions.

Step-by-step explanation:

According to Arrhenius in his definition, a base is a substance that has the ability to increase the hydroxyll ion (OH-) of an aqueous solution. In other words, Arrhenius bases dissociates into OH- when dissolved in water.

According to this question, ammonia (NH3) will not be considered an Arrhenius base because it does not contain OH-. This means that ammonia (NH3) cannot dissociate into hydroxyll ion when dissolved in water.