Question

Consider the reaction below. Which species is(are) the Brønsted-Lowry acid(s)?

HF (aq) + NHâ (aq) â NHâ⺠(aq) + Fâ» (aq) g

Answer 1

HF is the acid

Step-by-step explanation:

The Brønsted-Lowry theory defines the acids and bases in chemistry as follows:

An acid is the species that can donate a proton

A base can accept protons.

In the reaction:

HF(aq) + NH₃(aq) → NH₄⁺(aq) + F⁻(aq)

As you can see, HF can donate its proton to produce F⁻: HF is the acid

In the same way, NH₃ is accepting a proton, NH₃ is the base.