most recent 30 from http://merspi.com.au 2010-07-29T18:12:29Z http://merspi.com.au/feeds/question/499 http://www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/rdf http://merspi.com.au/questions/499/why-doesnt-the-ethanoate-ion-act-as-an-acid Impractical 2009-12-19T11:28:25Z 2010-01-13T06:30:27Z

<p>I had a multiple choice question that asked: which one of the following chemical equations best represents the ionsation of the ethanoate ion CH₃COO^-</p> <p>I wrote the answer as the ethanoate ion acting as an acid and donating the hydrogen, it was the water as per the answer.</p> <p>Why was I wrong?</p>

http://merspi.com.au/questions/499/why-doesnt-the-ethanoate-ion-act-as-an-acid/505#505 Collin Li 2009-12-19T15:30:48Z 2009-12-19T15:30:48Z

<p>The ethanoate ion CH₃COO^- is not an acid. It is the <strong>product</strong> of an acid (ethanoic acid: CH₃COOH).</p> <p>This is often referred to as the <strong>conjugate base</strong>. Hence, CH₃COO^- is actually a good base. It turns out that the other hydrogen atoms on the ethanoate ion are <em>not</em> acidic!</p>