Draw the Lewis structures for acetic acid and ammonia and show how they can hydrogen bond with one another.

To understand how acetic acid (CH3COOH) and ammonia (NH3) can form hydrogen bonds, we first need to draw their Lewis structures.

Lewis Structure of Acetic Acid (CH3COOH)

Acetic acid consists of a methyl group (CH3) attached to a carboxyl group (COOH). The Lewis structure can be represented as:

   H   O
   |  ||
 H-C--C  
       |  
       O-H
       

Here, the carbon atom in the carboxyl group is double-bonded to one oxygen (O) and single-bonded to another oxygen (O), which is also bonded to a hydrogen atom (H). The other carbon is single-bonded to three hydrogen atoms (H).

Lewis Structure of Ammonia (NH3)

Ammonia consists of a nitrogen atom bonded to three hydrogen atoms. Its Lewis structure looks like this:

       H
       |
   H - N - H
       |
       H

The nitrogen atom has a lone pair of electrons, which plays a crucial role in hydrogen bonding.

Hydrogen Bonding Between Acetic Acid and Ammonia

Hydrogen bonds occur when a hydrogen atom is attracted to an electronegative atom, such as oxygen or nitrogen. In this case, the hydrogen bond can form between the hydrogen atom of the hydroxyl (O-H) group in acetic acid and the nitrogen atom in ammonia that has a lone pair.

The hydrogen bond can be illustrated as follows:

   H   O       H
   |  ||       |
 H-C--C  +   N-H
       |       |
       O-H     H

In this interaction, the lone pair on the nitrogen atom of ammonia attracts the hydrogen atom of the hydroxyl group from acetic acid, forming a hydrogen bond. This interaction is essential in various biological and chemical processes, contributing to the properties of substances like water and biological molecules.

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