Ch. 2: Acids and Bases Flashcards
What is a Bronsted-Lowry acid?
a species that loses a proton
What is a Bronsted-Lowry base?
a species that gains a proton
What is the reaction of an acid with a base called?
proton transfer reaction or an acid-base reaction
What is the conjugate acid of NH3?
+NH4
What’s the conjugate base of H2O?
HO-
Why can water act as both an acid and a base?
Water can behave as a base because it has a lone pair, and it can behave as an acid because it has a proton that it can lose.
What is acidity?
a measure of the tendency of a compound to lose a proton
What is basicity?
a measure of a compound’s affinity for a proton
Describe a strong acid and its conjugate base.
A strong acid has a tendency to lose a proton, has a weak conjugate base with little affinity for the proton.
Describe a weak acid and its conjugate base.
A weak acid has little tendency to lose its proton, has a strong conjugate base with a high affinity for the proton.
What is the equilibrium constant Keq?
The degree to which an acid (HA) dissociates in an acqueous solution is indicated by Keq.
What is the acid dissociation constant?
The degree to which an acid (HA) dissociates is normally determined in a dilute solution so the concentration of water remains essentially constant. Ka is the equilibrium constant multiplied by the molar concentration of water.
Describe pKa and its use.
A convenient way to describe the strength of an acid.
What is pH?
The concentration of protons in a solution.
What are carboxylic acids?
compounds with a COOH group
Are carboxylic acids strong or weak?
weak acids
What are alcohols?
compounds with an OH group. They can act as both a B-L acid and base.
Are alcohols stronger or weaker than carboxylic acids?
much weaker than carboxylic acids