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Topic: How come this is an acid-base reaction?  (Read 1102 times)

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Offline INeedSerotonin

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How come this is an acid-base reaction?
« on: October 19, 2019, 02:38:22 PM »
NH4Cl + NaNH2 -----> NaCl + 2NH3

Hello

I found this exercise that asked me what kind of reaction this was, and the answer is "acid-base". How can I know which one of these compounds is an acid or a base?

I know the Arrhenius theory, and the Brönsted's, and the Lewis', but I'm lost here. Any hints?

I think that NH4Cl is an acidic salt, because it comes from HCl + NH4OH, and I think that NaNH2 is a basic salt, because it comes from NaOH + amine. Is this why it is an acid-base reaction? Could I foresee that the products would be NaCl (it makes sense, because it is neutral) + NH3 (why?)?

Offline AWK

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Re: How come this is an acid-base reaction?
« Reply #1 on: October 19, 2019, 03:28:43 PM »
Both compounds are ionic. Use Brönsted's theory
AWK

Offline chenbeier

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Re: How come this is an acid-base reaction?
« Reply #2 on: October 19, 2019, 03:31:46 PM »
It is based on NH4+ +NH2- => 2 NH3
Similar to H3O+ + OH- => 2 H2O

Offline INeedSerotonin

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Re: How come this is an acid-base reaction?
« Reply #3 on: October 19, 2019, 06:17:42 PM »
Thank you, guys! So the strategy is to always simplify/cancel all spectator ions and see who is donating the proton (H+) to whom and who is donating electrons to whom?
« Last Edit: October 19, 2019, 06:45:23 PM by INeedSerotonin »

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