Acids & Bases (chpt. 12) Flashcards
Arrhenius definition - acid
A substance that dissociates in water to produce H+ ions
Arrhenius definition - strong acid
A substance that almost completely dissociates in water to give hydrogen ions
Arrhenius definition - weak acid
A substance that only slightly dissociates in water to give hydrogen ions
Arrhenius definition - base
A substance that dissociates in water to produce OH- (hydroxide) ions
Arrhenius definition - strong base
A substance that almost completely dissociates in water to give hydroxide ions
Arrhenius definition - weak base
A substance that only slightly dissociates in water to give hydroxide ions
Limitations of Arrhenius theory
- Acids and bases must be in aqueous solution → prevents use of other solvents
- not all acid-base reactions are in solution
- it is not possible for a bare proton to exist independently in solution, only hydronium ions can
Brønsted-Lowry definition - acid
A proton donor
Brønsted-Lowry definition - strong acid
Good proton donor
Brønsted-Lowry definition - weak acid
Poor proton donor
Brønsted-Lowry definition - base
A proton acceptor
Brønsted-Lowry definition - strong base
A good proton acceptor
Brønsted-Lowry definition - weak base
Poor proton acceptor
Advantages of Brønsted-Lowry theory over Arrhenius
- does not require water as a solvent
- broadens range of species that can be defined
- Arrhenius does not take hydronium ions into account
- Arrhenius cannot explain amphoteric substances
Conjugate acid-base pair
An acid and a base that differ by one proton
