Chemistry / Unit 12 Chem 2472 short lesson, about 20 seconds
Amines: Weak Bases from a Nitrogen Lone Pair
Captions available
The idea
An amine contains a nitrogen bonded to carbon or hydrogen atoms and carrying a lone pair, which makes amines weak bases the way ammonia is.
In practice
Methylamine accepts a proton from water to form the methylammonium cation, the same way ammonia does.
Where people slip
An amine's basicity comes from nitrogen's lone pair, not resemblance to a hydroxide-containing base — amines contain no hydroxide ion.
Your place on the trail
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