IB CHEM NAME: ____________________________________

WORKSHEET 8.1 – Theories of Acids & Bases

1) Which of the following is a Brønsted-Lowry base, but not an Arrhenius base?

A) HCl
B) NH3
C) NaOH
D) Ca(OH)2

2) According the Brønsted-Lowry theory, what is the conjugate base of the bicarbonate ion,
HCO3-?

A) CO2
B) CO3-2
C) H2CO3
D) H3CO3+

3) Which is a conjugate acid-base pair in the reaction below?

A) CH3COOH and H2O

B) CH3COOH and H3O+
C) CH3COO- and H3O+
D) H2O and H3O+

4) Which species produced by successive dissociations of phosphoric acid, H3PO4, are

amphiprotic?

I. H2PO4-
II. HPO4-2
III. PO4-3

A) I and II only
B) I and III only
C) II and III only
D) I, II, and III
5) According to Brønsted-Lowry theory, water is an amphiprotic species.

A) Define the term amphiprotic.

B) Using one equation, showing the amphiprotic nature of water using the appropriate
conjugate acid-base pairs.

6) Give the conjugate acid and base for the following species.

CONJUGATE ACID CONJUGATE BASE

NH3
OH-
H 2O
SO4-2
HSO4-
HNO3

7) Use conjugate acid-base pairs to show the amphiprotic nature of the hydrogen phosphate
ion, HPO4-2, in water.
8) CHALLENGE: Phosphine, PH3, is a toxic gas sometimes used in fumigation against insects.

A) Phosphine acts as a Brønsted-Lowry base in aqueous solution, forming the

phosphonium ion. Show this using conjugate acid-base pairs.

B) Outline the role of water in the reaction above.

C) Explain the type of covalent bonding occurring the phosphonium ion forms.

D) Explain the difference in shape between phosphine and the phosphonium ion.

E) The phosphonium ion can be found in some ionic salts, such as phosphonium chloride.

I) Deduce the chemical formula of phosphonium chloride.

II) Outline the type of bonding in phosphonium chloride.