Identify the following reaction, label the acid, conjugate acid, base , and conjugate base: H2SO4 + H2O = HSO4 + H3O+

Answer 1

Answer 2

You need to know the definition of an acid and a base.

One definition is - (there are others, and you need to study those also) --

an acid donates proton(s) (H+)

a base accepts protons

So in your equation, in the forward direction, the H2SO4 loses a proton (becomes HSO4-), so that is the ACID.

[ your written question is missing this negative sign, HSO4-, but it needs it to be charged balanced, and to be correct.]

The H2O accepts the proton (to become H3O+) so that is the base.

The CONJUGATE is what something becomes (what appears on the other side of the equation) in the acid/base reaction. It is the "pair" to the original thing. The only difference between something and its conjugate is a H+.

So H2SO4 (acid) loses a proton and becomes the conjugate base, HSO4-

If you consider the REVERSE reaction, HSO4- is a base on the other side of equation - it is the thing that ACCEPTS the proton, so it would act as a BASE. It is the conjugate base of H2SO4.

H2SO4/HSO4- is an acid/conjugate base pair.

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H20 is the base in the forward rxn, because it accepts a proton, and becomes H3O+.

H20/H3O+ is a base/conjugate acid pair.

The acid and base are the reactants in the forward reaction.

And you can think of the conjugate acid and the conjugate base as the "reactants" in the reverse reaction.