Bronsted-Lowry

Acids and Bases

Sec 14-2
Bronsted-Lowry Acids &
Bases
 Bronsted-Lowry Acid: is a molecule or ion
that is a proton donor.
 Ex) HCl + NH3  NH4+ + Cl-
HCl + H2O  H3O+ + Cl-
 Water can also act as a Bronsted-Lowry Acid
ex) H2O + NH3  NH4+ + OH-
Bronsted-Lowry Acids &
Bases
 Bronsted-Lowry Bases: are molecules or
ions that are a proton acceptor.
 HCl + NH3  NH4+ + Cl- (NH3 is base)

 In Bronsted-Lowry acid-base reactions,

protons are transferred from one reactant
(the acid) to another (the base)
Monoprotic & Polyprotic
Acids
 Monoprotic acid is an acid that can donate
only one proton per molecule.
 ex) HClO4, HCl, HNO3

 Polyprotic acid is an acid that can donate

more than one proton per molecule
 Ex) H2SO4, H3PO4
 Ionization of polyprotic acids occurs in stages.
 The acid loses its hydrogen atoms one at a time.
Polyprotic Acids
 Can vary in the number of protons they
donate
 Diprotic acid can donate 2 protons per
molecule
 Ex) H2SO4
 Triprotic acid can donate 3 protons per
molecule
 Ex) H3PO4
Ionization of Polyprotic
Acids
 All stages of ionization of polyprotic acids
occur in the same solution
 Ex) H2SO4 + H2O  H3O+ + HSO4-

HSO4- + H2O ↔ H3O+ + SO4-

The solution contains all three ion, H3O+ , HSO4-, &
SO4-
Ionization of Polyprotic
Acids

 With most polyprotic acids, the concentration of

ions formed in the first ionization is the greatest.
Conjugate Acids & Bases
 Conjugate base is the species that remains after a
Bronsted-Lowry acid has given up a proton.
Conjugate Acids & Bases
 Conjugate Acid the species that is formed when a
Bronsted-Lowry base gains a proton.

 In general, Bronsted-Lowry reactions are

equilibrium rxn’s, that occur in both directions.
They involve 2 acid-base pairs known as
conjugate acid base pairs.
Strength of Conjugate Acids
and Bases
 The extent of a rxn between a Bronsted-
Lowry acid and base depends on the relative
strengths of the acids and bases involved.
Ex) HCl + H2O  H3O+ + Cl-
strong base acid weak
acid base
 The stronger an acid is, the weaker its
conjugate base; the stronger a base is, the
weaker its conjugate acid.
Strength of Conjugate Acids
and Bases

 Hydronium is too weak an acid to compete with perchloric

acid in donating a proton
 HClO4 is the stronger acid
 Both ClO4- and H2O are bases
 Since HClO4 is a very strong acid ClO4- is a very weak base and
water, the stronger base, acquires more of the protons
 The rxn proceeds such that the stronger acid reacts with
the stronger base to produce the weaker acid and base
Strength of Conjugate Acids
and Bases

 Proton transfer reactions favor the production of

the weaker acid and the weaker base.
Amphoteric Compounds
 Any species that can react as either an
acid or a base

 How they react depends on the strength of

the acid or base they are with.
-OH in a Molecules
 Molecular compounds contains the –OH
group can be acid or amphoteric
 To be acid
 Water must be able to attract H+ from OH
 Occurs more easily if O-H bond is very polar
 Any feature that increases the polarity of the O-H

bond increases the substances acidity.

 Ex) be bonded to more electronegative non-metals
 Ex) Increasing the number of oxygen atoms bonded to
the same atom as the OH (hydroxyl group)