Chapter 15, Problem 15.136QP

Interpretation Introduction

Interpretation:

Reason for why putting some lemon juice on fish can greatly reduce the odor has to be explained.

Concept Introduction:

Basic nature of amines: Amines react with aqueous mineral acids to from ammonium salts

Thus, amines are good Lewis base, an amine also acts as Bronsted-Lowry base it accepts a proton from acid.

$R-N{H}_2+H-X\underset{}{\overset{}{\rightleftarrows }}R-N{H}_3^{+}{X}^{-}$

Base ionization constant $K_b$

The equilibrium expression for the ionization of weak base $\text{B}$ will be,

${\text{B}}_{(aq)}+{\text{H}}_{\text{2}}{\text{O}}_{(l)}\stackrel{}{\to }{\text{HB}}^{\text{+}}{}_{(aq)}+{\text{OH}}^{\text{-}}{}_{(aq)}$

${\text{K}}_b=\frac{[{\text{HB}}^{\text{+}}][{\text{OH}}^{\text{-}}]}{[\text{B}]}$

Where $K_b$ is base ionization constant, $[{\text{OH}}^{-}\text{]}$ is concentration of hydroxide ion, $[{\text{HB}}^{\text{+}}\text{]}$ is concentration of conjugate acid, $[\text{B]}$ is concentration of the base