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Why amonia NH3 in water acts as a base and not an acid?
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Oaksinstructor said:Ammonia is clearly accepting the proton and thus (again according to Brønsted-Lowry theory) is the base. (and water is the acid).
A base is a substance that can accept a proton (H+) from another substance, and is therefore considered to be a proton acceptor.
Amonia (NH3) has a lone pair of electrons on its nitrogen atom, which can readily attract a proton from another substance, making it a base.
Amonia has a stronger ability to accept protons compared to water because it has a larger size and a lone pair of electrons that is more exposed and therefore more available for accepting protons.
Yes, water can act as a base in certain situations. It can accept protons from stronger acids, such as hydrochloric acid (HCl), to form the hydronium ion (H3O+).
The main difference between amonia and water as bases is their relative strengths. Amonia is a stronger base than water, and can accept protons more readily due to its larger size and availability of lone pair electrons on its nitrogen atom.