Question

What is the conjugate acid of NH3?

Answer 1

The conjugate acid of ammonia is the ammonium ion, `NH_4^+`.

Explanation:

The conjugate acid of any species, is the original species PLUS a proton, `H^+`. Both mass and charge are conserved. So add a `H^+` unit to `NH_3`, and I gets `NH_4^+`, ammonium ion. Are both mass and charge conserved here?

By the same procedure, if I remove `H^+` from any species, I get the conjugate base. So the conjugate base of sulfuric acid, `H_2SO_4` is `HSO_4^-`, bisulfate anion. What is the conjugate base of bisulfate ion?

Can you tell me the conjugate base of `NH_3`? This species does not exist in water, but it does exist in liquid ammonia.