IB Chemistry R3.4 Notes

This page contains our IB Chemistry notes for R3.4. By reading each one of these notes, you will fully cover the content for IB Chemistry 'Further electron-pair sharing'.
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Lewis theory

In Topic R3.1, the ionic and Brønsted-Lowry theories of acids and bases were introduced. In the HL syllabus, you need to know the third theory: Lewis theory.

In this theory, there are also two principles:

Topic 18 subTopic 1 notes image 1

  1. An acid is a species that accepts a pair of electrons. This is due to their high electronegativity, so they are attracted to negative charges. They are termed electrophiles.
  2. A base is a species that donates a pair of electrons. This is due to their low electronegativity, so they are attracted to positive charges. They are termed nucleophiles.

Common Lewis acids and bases are shown in the table below:

Lewis acidsLewis bases

BF3

H+

CH3+

NH3

H2O

OH-

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