Answer:
H₂O is the Bronsted-Lowry base and HCl is the Bronsted-Lowry acid. Option C is correct.
Explanations:
Bronsted-Lowry acid is defined as the ion or molecule that donates a hydrogen ion (H⁺) in a chemical reaction. Since H⁺ is a proton, hence a Bronsted - Lowry acid is a proton donor meaning that we can determine the Bronsted - Lowry acid in a chemical reaction by simply looking out for the molecule that loses a hydrogen ion (proton).
From the chemical reaction given
[tex]HCl+H_2O\to H_3O^++Cl^-[/tex]
We can see that hydrochloric acid (HCl) donates a proton to have one less proton on the product side than on the reactant. Therefore, HCl in this case will be the Bronsted-Lowry acid since it acts as the donor.
Similarly, a Brønsted-Lowry base is a molecule or ion that accepts hydrogen ions in a reaction. From the reaction, you can see that water (H₂O) is the molecule that accepts this hydrogen ion to form a hydronium ion (H₃O⁺). Hence, the water molecule will act as a Bronsted - Lowry base