Water acts as a weak ______ and ______.

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Multiple Choice

Water acts as a weak ______ and ______.

Water shows both Brønsted-Lowry acid-base behavior, illustrating its amphoteric nature. It can donate a proton to another water molecule, forming OH−, which means it acts as an acid. It can also accept a proton, forming H3O+, which means it acts as a base. Both roles are weak, so only a small amount of dissociation occurs, keeping pure water near neutral. The small extent of proton transfer is why water is called a very weak acid and a very weak base. Hence the correct completion is “acid and base.”

Water shows both Brønsted-Lowry acid-base behavior, illustrating its amphoteric nature. It can donate a proton to another water molecule, forming OH−, which means it acts as an acid. It can also accept a proton, forming H3O+, which means it acts as a base. Both roles are weak, so only a small amount of dissociation occurs, keeping pure water near neutral. The small extent of proton transfer is why water is called a very weak acid and a very weak base. Hence the correct completion is “acid and base.”

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