How to identyfy which molecule is most lewis acid or base?
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You just need to see if they can donate electrons or not. Of they have lone pairs and they can donate, then that makes them a base. Greater the number of electrons they can donate, more basic they are.
For example consider the oxides of Mn.
Mn2O7 : oxidation state is +7
MnO2 : +4
MnO : +2
Mn2O3 : +3
Out of these 4, you can see that none of them have same oxidation state.
The concept is, greater the oxidation state, greater is their ability to accept electrons. Here MnO has the least oxidation number which means it cannot easily accept electrons. This gives us an idea that it cannot be an acid.
and out of all these the most basic basic one is MnO and the most acidic one is Mn2O7.
For example consider the oxides of Mn.
Mn2O7 : oxidation state is +7
MnO2 : +4
MnO : +2
Mn2O3 : +3
Out of these 4, you can see that none of them have same oxidation state.
The concept is, greater the oxidation state, greater is their ability to accept electrons. Here MnO has the least oxidation number which means it cannot easily accept electrons. This gives us an idea that it cannot be an acid.
and out of all these the most basic basic one is MnO and the most acidic one is Mn2O7.
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