The hydribes of group 15 elements act as :

Options

A. lewis acids
B. lewis bases
C. both
D. none

Answer

To determine how the hydrides of group 15 elements behave (as Lewis acids, Lewis bases, both, or none), we can follow these steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Understand Lewis Acids and Bases**:
- Lewis acids are species that can accept electrons.
- Lewis bases are species that can donate electrons, typically through a lone pair or a negative charge.

2. **Identify the Hydrides of Group 15**:
- The hydrides of group 15 elements include NH₃ (ammonia), PH₃ (phosphine), AsH₃ (arsine), SbH₃ (stibine), and BiH₃ (bismuthine).

3. **Examine the Electron Configuration**:
- Each of these hydrides has a central atom (N, P, As, Sb, Bi) that possesses a lone pair of electrons.
- For example, NH₃ has one lone pair on nitrogen, PH₃ has one lone pair on phosphorus, and so on.

4. **Determine the Ability to Donate Electrons**:
- Since these hydrides have a lone pair of electrons, they can donate these electrons to other species. This characteristic is indicative of a Lewis base.

5. **Conclusion**:
- Therefore, the hydrides of group 15 elements act as Lewis bases because they can donate their lone pair of electrons.

### Final Answer:
The hydrides of group 15 elements act as Lewis bases.

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