Question

Does water react with acids and bases?

Answer 1

Amphoteric nature: An amphoteric compound is a molecule or ion that can react both as an acid and as a base. Since water has the potential to act both as an acid and as a base, water is amphoteric and will react with both acid and base.

• Reaction with acid: Water reacting with acetic acid gives products such as acetate ion and the hydronium ion.

$\underset{\mathrm{Acetic}\mathrm{acid}}{{\mathrm{CH}}_3\mathrm{COOH}\left(\mathrm{l}\right)}+\underset{\mathrm{water}}{{\mathrm{H}}_2\mathrm{O}}\left(\mathrm{l}\right)\rightleftharpoons \underset{\mathrm{Acetate}\mathrm{ion}}{{\mathrm{CH}}_3{\mathrm{COO}}^{-}\left(\mathrm{aq}\right)}+\underset{\mathrm{hydronium}\mathrm{ion}}{{\mathrm{H}}_3{\mathrm{O}}^{+}}$

• Reaction with base: Water will react with ammonia giving the product as the ammonium ion and hydroxide ion.

$\underset{\mathrm{Ammonia}}{{\mathrm{NH}}_3\left(\mathrm{aq}\right)}+\underset{\mathrm{water}}{{\mathrm{H}}_2\mathrm{O}}\left(\mathrm{l}\right)\stackrel{}{\to }\underset{\mathrm{Ammonium}\mathrm{ion}}{\mathrm{N}{{\mathrm{H}}_4}^{+}\left(\mathrm{aq}\right)}+\underset{\mathrm{hydroxide}\mathrm{ion}}{{\mathrm{OH}}^{-}\left(\mathrm{aq}\right)}$