NH3

[Agustina Santa Cruz 2F]

How is NH3 a base? Aren't acids the compounds containing H? and bases contain OH?

[Ryan Hoang 1D]

NH3 is a base because it gives up its two electrons especially in coordination compounds. It gives up electrons to form a bond with the metal cation, and as defined by Lewis base definition: it is a base because it gives up its 2 electrons to another acceptor compound.

[Sydney Lam_2I]

Hi!

So I believe the reason why ammonia is a base is because when it is combined with water it creates NH4+ and OH-. So, the production of hydroxide would cause the solution to become more basic.

[Andrew Yoon 3L]

When NH3 interacts with H2O, it doesn't give up an H to H2O because H3O is very unstable. So rather, it will accept an H from H2O. The products would be NH4+ and OH-. Since it is accepting an H, which can be thought of as a proton, NH3 is an base and H2O is an acid.

[Manseej Khatri 2B]

Hi. I believe acids and bases always follow to some degree the Lewis definition which means that acids are electron acceptors and bases are electron donors. If you draw the Lewis structure for NH3 you will see a lone pair on the nitrogen making it a good lone pair donator and thus a good Lewis base.