#6 on the online homework asks you if compounds are acids or bases, and I am confused on how to tell.
It asks about SO2, H2O, and B(OH)3
Because using B(OH)3 as an example, isn't the B3+ the lewis acid, and the OH- the lewis base? What is it overall?
Lewis Acids and Bases
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Re: Lewis Acids and Bases
Drawing out the lewis structures was helpful in figuring out if it was an acid or base. Anions will be bases as they can give away electrons, but also if a molecule has extra lone pair electrons it will also be a base. Alternatively, cations will be acids as well as molecules where the central atom does not fill or uses doubles bonds to fill the octet. Using B(OH)3, B will only have 6 atoms, so it can accept electrons, thus it is an acid.
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Re: Lewis Acids and Bases
Kaethe Zappacosta 2L wrote:#6 on the online homework asks you if compounds are acids or bases, and I am confused on how to tell.
It asks about SO2, H2O, and B(OH)3
Because using B(OH)3 as an example, isn't the B3+ the lewis acid, and the OH- the lewis base? What is it overall?
Hi, I would first suggest to draw out the lewis structures for those molecules and then you know than anions will be bases and cations will be acids. Hope this helps!
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Re: Lewis Acids and Bases
I think an important distinction is between Bronsted Acids/Bases and Lewis Acids/Bases. I think most people are more familiar with Bronsted Acids/Bases where Bronsted Acids donate protons and Bronsted Bases accept protons. Lewis Acids/Bases focus on Lewis Acids accepting electron pairs and Lewis Bases donating electron pairs. Given, a Bronsted Acid is also a Lewis Acid, the only difference is what we are focused on transferring.
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