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The Arrhenius Theory of Acids and Bases

The document discusses several theories of acids and bases: 1. The Arrhenius theory defines acids as substances that produce hydrogen ions in solution and bases as substances that produce hydroxide ions in solution. Neutralization occurs via a reaction between hydrogen and hydroxide ions. 2. The Bronsted-Lowry theory defines acids as proton donors and bases as proton acceptors. It extends the Arrhenius theory by considering acids and bases in terms of proton transfers rather than specific ion production. 3. The Lewis theory defines acids as electron pair acceptors and bases as electron pair donors. It further broadens the scope of acids and bases to include reactions where electron pairs are donated or

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50 views

The Arrhenius Theory of Acids and Bases

The document discusses several theories of acids and bases: 1. The Arrhenius theory defines acids as substances that produce hydrogen ions in solution and bases as substances that produce hydroxide ions in solution. Neutralization occurs via a reaction between hydrogen and hydroxide ions. 2. The Bronsted-Lowry theory defines acids as proton donors and bases as proton acceptors. It extends the Arrhenius theory by considering acids and bases in terms of proton transfers rather than specific ion production. 3. The Lewis theory defines acids as electron pair acceptors and bases as electron pair donors. It further broadens the scope of acids and bases to include reactions where electron pairs are donated or

Uploaded by

michelle_14
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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The Arrhenius Theory of acids and bases

The theory

 Acids are substances which produce hydrogen ions in solution.

 Bases are substances which produce hydroxide ions in solution.

Neutralisation happens because hydrogen ions and hydroxide ions react to produce
water.

The Bronsted-Lowry Theory of acids and bases

The theory

 An acid is a proton (hydrogen ion) donor.


 A base is a proton (hydrogen ion) acceptor.

The relationship between the Bronsted-Lowry theory and the


Arrhenius theory

The Bronsted-Lowry theory doesn't go against the Arrhenius theory


in any way - it just adds to it.

Hydroxide ions are still bases because they accept hydrogen ions
from acids and form water.

An acid produces hydrogen ions in solution because it reacts with


the water molecules by giving a proton to them.

When hydrogen chloride gas dissolves in water to produce


hydrochloric acid, the hydrogen chloride molecule gives a proton (a
hydrogen ion) to a water molecule. A co-ordinate (dative covalent)
bond is formed between one of the lone pairs on the oxygen and
the hydrogen from the HCl. Hydroxonium ions, H 3O+, are produced.
Note:  If you aren't sure about co-ordinate bonding you should
follow this link. Co-ordinate bonds will be mentioned several
times over the course of the rest of this page.

Use the BACK button on your browser to return quickly to this


page.

When an acid in solution reacts with a base, what is actually


functioning as the acid is the hydroxonium ion. For example, a
proton is transferred from a hydroxonium ion to a hydroxide ion to
make water.

Showing the electrons, but leaving out the inner ones:

It is important to realise that whenever you talk about hydrogen


ions in solution, H+(aq), what you are actually talking about are
hydroxonium ions.
The Lewis Theory of acids and bases

This theory extends well beyond the things you normally think of as
acids and bases.

The theory

 An acid is an electron pair acceptor.


 A base is an electron pair donor.

The relationship between the Lewis theory and the Bronsted-Lowry


theory

Lewis bases

It is easiest to see the relationship by looking at exactly what


Bronsted-Lowry bases do when they accept hydrogen ions. Three
Bronsted-Lowry bases we've looked at are hydroxide ions,
ammonia and water, and they are typical of all the rest.

The Bronsted-Lowry theory says that they are acting as bases


because they are combining with hydrogen ions. The reason they
are combining with hydrogen ions is that they have lone pairs of
electrons - which is what the Lewis theory says. The two are
entirely consistent.

So how does this extend the concept of a base? At the moment it


doesn't - it just looks at it from a different angle.

But what about other similar reactions of ammonia or water, for


example? On the Lewis theory, any reaction in which the ammonia
or water used their lone pairs of electrons to form a co-ordinate
bond would be counted as them acting as a base.

Here is a reaction which you will find talked about on the page
dealing with co-ordinate bonding. Ammonia reacts with BF3 by
using its lone pair to form a co-ordinate bond with the empty orbital
on the boron.

As far as the ammonia is concerned, it is behaving exactly the


same as when it reacts with a hydrogen ion - it is using its lone pair
to form a co-ordinate bond. If you are going to describe it as a base
in one case, it makes sense to describe it as one in the other case
as well.

Note:  If you haven't already read the page about co-ordinate
bonding you should do so now. You will find an important example
of water acting as a Lewis base as well as this example - although
the term Lewis base isn't used on that page.

Use the BACK button on your browser to return quickly to this page.

Lewis acids

Lewis acids are electron pair acceptors. In the above example, the
BF3 is acting as the Lewis acid by accepting the nitrogen's lone
pair. On the Bronsted-Lowry theory, the BF 3 has nothing remotely
acidic about it.

This is an extension of the term acid well beyond any common use.

What about more obviously acid-base reactions - like, for example,


the reaction between ammonia and hydrogen chloride gas?

What exactly is accepting the lone pair of electrons on the nitrogen.


Textbooks often write this as if the ammonia is donating its lone
pair to a hydrogen ion - a simple proton with no electrons around it.

That is misleading! You don't usually get free hydrogen ions in


chemical systems. They are so reactive that they are always
attached to something else. There aren't any uncombined
hydrogen ions in HCl.

There isn't an empty orbital anywhere on the HCl which can accept
a pair of electrons. Why, then, is the HCl a Lewis acid?

Chlorine is more electronegative than hydrogen, and that means


that the hydrogen chloride will be a polar molecule. The electrons
in the hydrogen-chlorine bond will be attracted towards the chlorine
end, leaving the hydrogen slightly positive and the chlorine slightly
negative.

Note:  If you aren't sure about electronegativity and bond polarity it
might be useful to follow this link.

Use the BACK button on your browser to return quickly to this page.

The lone pair on the nitrogen of an ammonia molecule is attracted


to the slightly positive hydrogen atom in the HCl. As it approaches
it, the electrons in the hydrogen-chlorine bond are repelled still
further towards the chlorine.

Eventually, a co-ordinate bond is formed between the nitrogen and


the hydrogen, and the chlorine breaks away as a chloride ion.

This is best shown using the "curly arrow" notation commonly used
in organic reaction mechanisms.
Note:  If you aren't happy about the use of curly arrows to show
movements of electron pairs, you should follow this link.

Use the BACK button on your browser to return quickly to this page.

The whole HCl molecule is acting as a Lewis acid. It is accepting a


pair of electrons from the ammonia, and in the process it breaks
up. Lewis acids don't necessarily have to have an existing empty
orbital.

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