Video Transcript
Two water molecules can react to
produce a hydronium ion, H3O+, and a hydroxide ion, OH−. The formation of the hydronium ion
can be simplified to the reaction shown. Which of the following terms can be
used to describe the water in the reaction shown? (A) Lewis base, (B) Lewis acid, (C)
hypervalent, (D) electrophile, or (E) conjugated.
Covalent bonds form when atoms
share one or more valence electrons. Most covalent bonds contain
electrons from both bonding atoms. Some covalent bonds result from
both shared electrons originating from only one of the bonding atoms. Coordinate covalent bonds are
covalent bonds where the pair of electrons forming the bond is donated from one atom
only.
Atoms that receive donated pairs of
electrons are known as acceptors. They can also be called Lewis
acids. Electron pair donors are known as
Lewis bases.
In the question, we see that an
electron pair is being donated from water to the adjacent hydrogen ion. This produces the hydronium
ion. As water is donating a pair of
electrons, it is behaving as a Lewis base.
Therefore, the term that can be
used to describe water in the reaction shown is answer choice (A), Lewis base.
