Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins, and can act as both a Brønsted acid...

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Chemistry

Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins, and can act asboth a Brønsted acid and a Brønsted base through intramolecularproton transfer (see Chapter 16, pg. 709 of the textbook). Thesimplest amino acid known is glycine, NH2CH2CO2H (Ka = 4.5 ×10–3and Kb = 6.0 ×10–5 ), and it can exist in three forms inequilibrium with one another:

H2N––CH2––COOH +H3N––CH2––COOH +H3N––CH2––COO–H2N––CH2––COO–

Glycine cation zwitterion anion

(a) Write the equilibria corresponding to Ka and Kb ofglycine.

(b) Estimate the value of theequilibrium constant, K, for the intramolecular proton transfer toform the zwitterion in glycine: H2N––CH2––COOH (aq) K ?+H3N––CH2––COO– (aq)

(c) If the pH of an aqueoussolution containing glycine is 7.2, in what form is glycine mostabundant?

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a Write the equilibria corresponding to Ka and Kb of glycine Ka H2NCH2COOH H2NCH2COOH Kb H3NCH2COOHOH H2NCH2COOH b Estimate the value of    See Answer
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