How do you conjugate acid and base?

1 Answer
anor277
Apr 9, 2016

The conjugate base of an acid, is the formula of the starting acid, #HA#, less a proton, #H^+# to give #A^-#. That is the conjugate base of #HA# is #A^-#.

Explanation:

And the conjugate acid of a base is the starting base, #A^-#, plus a proton, #H^+#, to give #HA#.

As in any chemical reaction, both MASS and CHARGE are conserved. Thus taking sulfuric acid, #H_2SO_4#, as the exemplar, its conjugate base is #HSO_4^-#, and in turn the conjugate base of this bisulfate anion is #SO_4^(2-)#.

What are the conjugate bases of #HF# and #H_3PO_4#? What is the conjugate acid of #HPO_4^(2-)#? And what is the conjugate acid/base of water, #OH_2#?

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