acids and bases Flashcards
what is a brønsted-lowry acid?
a proton donor
what is a brønsted-lowry base?
a proton acceptor
what does ‘strong’ mean in terms of acids and bases?
completely dissociates in solution
what are some examples of strong acids?
HCl, H2SO4 + HNO3
what does monoprotic mean?
1mol of acid produces 1mol of H+
what does diprotic mean?
1mol of acid produces 2mol of H+
what are strong bases?
they produce OH- if the base dissolves in water
what are some examples of strong bases?
KOH, NaOH, CuOH
what is meant by ‘weak’ in terms of acids and bases?
only slightly dissociate in solution
constituent elements: weak acids are mainly…
“carbon containing” (organic)
e.g., ethanoic acid
what is an example of a weak base?
ammonia
where does the position of equilibrium lie for weak acids and bases?
far to the left
what scale is used to measure pH?
the pH scale (logarithmic)
a difference of 1 on the pH scale is a 10x increase/decrease of [H+]
what formula do we use to calculate pH?
pH = –log10[H+]
what formula do we use to calculate [H+] using pH?
[H+] = 10(-pH)
what is the pH of neutral solutions?
pH 7 at room temp.
what is an alkali?
a soluble base
alkaline solutions = when bases dissociate in water
what is Ka?
the acid dissociation constant - this is only applicable for WEAK ACIDS, due to them only partially dissociating
what is the relationship between Ka and acid dissociation?
the higher the value for Ka, the more the acid will dissociate when placed in solution; strong acids have exceptionally high Ka values
what equilibrium do we need to consider when looking at Ka?
HA ⇌ H+ + A-
what is the formula for Ka?
Ka = [H+][A-]/[HA]
what are the units used for Ka?
mol dm-3