Why is MgO a Lewis base? Chemistry Acids and Bases Lewis Acids and Bases 1 Answer P dilip_k Mar 4, 2016 #O^(2-)# in #MgO# acts as donor of lone pair of electron to #H^+# Explanation: When water is added #O^-2#ion in it forms #OH^-# by donating lone pair of electron to #H^+# formed by ionisation of #H_2O# Thus #H_2OrightleftharpoonsH^+ +OH^-# #O^-2 +H^+=OH^-# Answer link Related questions What ions hydrolyze in aqueous solutions? How can water be a lewis base? How do you predict lewis acid / base reactions? Why are lewis bases good ligands? Why are weak lewis bases strong nucleophiles? Why is #CO_2# a lewis acid? Why is #"C"l^-# a Lewis base? Why is #FeBr_3# a lewis acid? Why is FeCl3 a Lewis acid? Why is #ZnCl_2# a lewis acid? See all questions in Lewis Acids and Bases Impact of this question 5080 views around the world You can reuse this answer Creative Commons License