Conjugate Acids and Conjugate Bases
For starters:
- Conjugate Acid- Substance created when a base gains a proton (H+)
- Conjugate Base- Substance left over after an acid loses its proton (H+)
In any acid-base reaction, an acid and a base reacts to form a conjugate base and a conjugate acid
Acid + Base → Conjugate Base + Conjugate Acid
Acid + Base → Conjugate Base + Conjugate Acid
To identify a conjugate acid and a conjugate base in an equation:
First, identify the acid (H+) and base (OH-) **These will always be on the right side of the equation Second, follow the proton to find the conjugate acid and conjugate base **These will always be on the left side of the equation Look at the labeled example to the right.
In this reaction, HCl donates H+ to water and therefore acts as an acid. Water accepts H+ from HCl and therefore acts as a base. In the reverse reaction, Cl¯ acts as a base and H3O+ acts as an acid. When HCl acts as an acid, it becomes Cl¯, which is a base and is called the conjugate base of HCl. When water acts as a base, it becomes H3O+, which is an acid and is called the conjugate acid of water. |
Look above to see the acid, base, conjugate acid, and conjugate base identified and labeled |
Okay, now on to more. Click here to learn about buffers.