A sealed beaker contains an aqueous solution in which equimolar amounts of bicarbonate ion, HCO3−, and ammonia, NH3, are present at room temperature.
Both species are capable of acting as either a Brønsted–Lowry acid or base in water.
(a) Write every distinct proton-transfer equation that could, in principle, occur among the three species HCO3−, NH3, and H2O. Represent each process with a single chemical equation written using the smallest possible set of reactants.
(b) For each equation written in part (a), identify the acid and the base on the reactant side and the conjugate acid–base pair produced on the product side.
(c) Using your knowledge of relative acid strengths among the species involved, indicate which one of the possible proton-transfer reactions from part (a) is most likely to proceed to the greatest extent in the forward direction under the conditions described. Justify your choice qualitatively.
(d) Describe how the dominant reaction you selected in part (c) would influence the overall pH of the solution compared with pure water, providing a concise explanation based on the acid–base identities of the reactants and products.