ACID-BASE EQUILIBRIA
CHEM 18
CHARACTERISTICS OF ACIDS
 They taste sour
 They turn blue litmus paper to a red color
 They react with metals
 They feel the same way as water
 They become less acidic when combined with a base substance
CHARACTERISTICS OF BASES
 They taste bitter
 They turn red litmus paper to a blue color
 They do NOT react with metals
 They feel slippery
 They become less basic when combined with an acid substance
ARRHENIUS DEFINITION
ARRHENIUS ACIDS
 These are substances that ionize in water to produce H+
ARRHENIUS BASES
 These are substances that ionize in water to produce OH-
BRONSTED-LOWRY DEFINITION
BRONSTED-LOWRY ACIDS
 These substances are referred to as proton donors.
BRONSTED-LOWRY BASES
 These substances are referred to as proton acceptors.
LEWIS DEFINITION
 This is treated as the more general definition that is not limited to the
Bronsted-Lowry definition of acids and bases.
LEWIS ACIDS
 These substances are referred to as electron-pair acceptors.
LEWIS BASES
 These substances are referred to as electron-pair donors.
CONJUGATE ACID-BASE PAIRS
CONJUGATE BASE
 This is the result of when an acid gives off its acidic proton (H+).
CONJUGATE ACID
 This is the result of when a base accepts the proton given off by acid.
STRENGTHS OF ACIDS
STRONG ACID
 This substance dissociates more or less completely when dissolved in
water.
WEAK ACID
 This substance dissociates only slightly when dissolved in water.
STRONG ACIDS AND BASES
STRONG ACID
 HCl, HI, HBr, HNO3, HClO4, HClO3
STRONG BASES
 LiOH, NaOH, KOH, RbOH, CsOH
PERCENT IONIZATION
HYDROLYSIS OF SALTS
 Ions produced from salts can react with water through hydrolysis to
produce H3O+ or OH These can exhibit either acidic or basic properties.
BUFFER SOLUTIONS
 Solutions that resist drastic changes in pH upon addition of small
amounts of acids or bases
 Can be made up of the following combinations:
 weak acid + salt containing the conjugate base
 weak base + salt containing the conjugate acid