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QuestionChemistry

Which species is the conjugate acid of HCO^3 -? A. CO^32 - B. H^2CO^3 C. CO^2 D. H^2O
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Answer

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Step 1:
I'll solve this step-by-step using proper acid-base chemistry principles:

Step 2:
: Understand the Concept of Conjugate Acids

- A conjugate acid is formed when a base accepts a proton (H+) - To find the conjugate acid, we need to add a proton (H+) to the given species HCO^3 -

Step 3:
: Add a Proton to HCO^3 -

- When we add a proton to HCO^3 -, we get H^2CO^3 - This means H^2CO^3 is the conjugate acid of HCO^3 -

Step 4:
: Verify the Chemical Reaction

HCO3^{-} + H^{+} \rightarrow H_{2}CO_{3}

Step 5:
: Analyze the Given Options

A. CO3^{2 -} - This is a base, not the conjugate acid B. H^2CO^3 - This is the correct conjugate acid C. CO^2 - This is a neutral molecule, not the conjugate acid D. H^2O - This is a different molecule

Final Answer

H^2CO^3 is the conjugate acid of HCO^3 -.