Identify the base in this acid-base reaction:
[tex]2 HC_2 H_3 O_2+Mg(OH)_2 \rightarrow Mg\left(C_2 H_3 O_2\right)_2+2 H_2 O[/tex]
A. [tex]HC _2 H _3 O _2[/tex]
B. [tex]Mg ( OH )_2[/tex]
C. [tex]Mg \left( C _2 H _3 O _2\right)_2[/tex]
D. [tex]H _2 O[/tex]
Answer (2)
Identify the acid and base in the reaction.
Recognize that an acid donates protons and a base accepts protons.
Observe that H C 2 H 3 O 2 donates a proton, making it the acid.
Conclude that M g ( O H ) 2 accepts protons, thus it is the base: M g ( O H ) 2 .
Explanation
Identifying the Reaction We are given the following chemical reaction: 2 H C 2 H 3 O 2 + M g ( O H ) 2 i g h t ha r p oo n u pM g ( C 2 H 3 O 2 ) 2 + 2 H 2 O We need to identify the base in this reaction.
Understanding Acids and Bases In an acid-base reaction, an acid is a proton (H+) donor, and a base is a proton acceptor. Let's analyze the given reaction to see which reactant donates a proton and which accepts it.
Analyzing Proton Transfer In the reaction, H C 2 H 3 O 2 (acetic acid) reacts with M g ( O H ) 2 (magnesium hydroxide) to form M g ( C 2 H 3 O 2 ) 2 (magnesium acetate) and H 2 O (water).
We can see that H C 2 H 3 O 2 donates a proton (H+) to form the acetate ion C 2 H 3 O 2 − , which then combines with the M g 2 + ion to form M g ( C 2 H 3 O 2 ) 2 .
M g ( O H ) 2 accepts protons (H+) to form water ( H 2 O ). Specifically, the hydroxide ions ( O H − ) in M g ( O H ) 2 accept protons to become water molecules.
Identifying the Base Since M g ( O H ) 2 accepts protons in this reaction, it is acting as the base.
Examples
Acid-base reactions are fundamental in many real-world applications. For example, antacids like magnesium hydroxide ( M g ( O H ) 2 ) neutralize excess stomach acid (hydrochloric acid, H Cl ) to relieve heartburn. The reaction is similar to the one in the problem, where M g ( O H ) 2 acts as a base to neutralize the acid. Another example is the titration process in chemistry labs, where a known concentration of an acid or base is used to determine the concentration of an unknown solution through neutralization reactions. These reactions are also crucial in industrial processes, such as wastewater treatment, where pH levels need to be carefully controlled to ensure environmental safety.
In the provided reaction, the base is M g ( O H ) 2 because it accepts protons from acetic acid (the acid) during the reaction, forming water. As a result, M g ( O H ) 2 is acting as the proton acceptor.
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