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+ Inorganic chemistry
+ Cations
+ Ammonia
+ Anions
+ Nitrogen
+ Chemistry
+ Organic chemistry
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Mad Mann

What is the cation and anion in NH3?

David Ihnen  Follow

Well, ammonia, [math]NH_{3}[/math], is a room-temperature gas … i.e. [math]ext{normal boiling point}[/math], [math]-33.3[/math] [math]°C[/math] … And as a protic solvent in LIQUID ammonia it participates in acid.base behaviour, the which we could represent as ….

[math]2NH_{3}(l) ightleftharpoons NH_{4}^{+} + NH_{2}^{-}[/math]

…for which [math]K_{am}=5.75 ×10^{-10}=[NH_{2}^{-}][NH_{4}^{+}][/math]

And while ammonium CATION is KNOWN in water, i.e. as [math]NH_{4}^{+}[/math], the base principle, amide ion, [math]NH_{2}^{-}[/math], is UNKNOWN in water …. but it is known in the parent ammonia solvent…. The reaction of liquid ammonia with sodium metal is spectacular, with a solvated electron featured…

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