10.11: Acid Dissociation Constants
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The following table provides pKa and Ka values for selected weak acids. All values are from Martell, A. E.; Smith, R. M. Critical Stability Constants, Vols. 1–4. Plenum Press: New York, 1976. Unless otherwise stated, values are for 25 oC and for zero ionic strength. Those values in brackets are considered less reliable.
Weak acids are arranged alphabetically by the names of the neutral compounds from which they are derived. In some cases—such as acetic acid—the compound is the weak acid. In other cases—such as for the ammonium ion—the neutral compound is the conjugate base. Chemical formulas or structural formulas are shown for the fully protonated weak acid. Successive acid dissociation constants are provided for polyprotic weak acids; where there is ambiguity, the specific acidic proton is identified.
To find the Kb value for a conjugate weak base, recall that
Ka×Kb=Kw
for a conjugate weak acid, HA, and its conjugate weak base, A–.
compound | conjugate acid | pKa | Ka |
---|---|---|---|
acetic acid | CH3COOH | 4.757 | 1.75×10−5 |
adipic acid | ![]() |
4.42 5.42 |
3.8×10−5 3.8×10−6 |
alanine | ![]() |
2.348 (COOH) 9.867 (NH3) |
4.49×10−3 1.36×10−10 |
aminobenzene | ![]() |
4.601 | 2.51×10−5 |
4-aminobenzene sulfonic acid | ![]() |
3.232 | 5.86×10−4 |
2-aminobenzoic acid | ![]() |
2.08 (COOH) 4.96 (NH3) |
8.3×10−3 1.1×10−5 |
2-aminophenol (T=20°C) | ![]() |
4.78 (NH3) 9.97 (OH) |
1.7×10−5 1.05×10−10 |
ammonia | NH+4 | 9.244 | 5.70×10−10 |
arginine | ![]() |
1.823 (COOH) 8.991 (NH3) [12.48] (NH2) |
1.50×10−2 1.02×10−9 [3.3×10−13] |
arsenic acid | H3AsO4 |
2.24 6.96 11.50 |
5.8×10−3 1.1×10−7 3.2×10−12 |
asparagine (μ=0.1 M) | ![]() |
2.14 (COOH) 8.72 (NH3) |
7.2×10−3 1.9×10−9 |
aspartic acid | ![]() |
1.990 (α-COOH) 3.900 (β-COOH) 10.002 (NH3) |
1.02×10−2 1.26×10−4 9.95×10−11 |
benzoic acid | ![]() |
4.202 | 6.28×10−5 |
benzylamine | ![]() |
9.35 | 4.5×10−10 |
boric acid (pKa2,pKa3: T=20°C) | H3BO3 |
9.236 [12.74] [13.80] |
5.81×10−10 [1.82×10−13] [1.58×10−14] |
carbonic acid | H2CO3 |
6.352 10.329 |
4.45×10−7 4.69×10−11 |
catechol | ![]() |
9.40 12.8 |
4.0×10−10 1.6×10−13 |
chloracetic acid | ClCH2COOH | 2.865 | 1.36×10−3 |
chromic acid (pKa1: T=20°C) | H2CrO4 |
–0.2 6.51 |
1.6 3.1×10−7 |
citric acid | ![]() |
3.128 (COOH) 4.761 (COOH) 6.396 (COOH) |
7.45×10−4 1.73×10−5 4.02×10−7 |
cupferron (μ=0.1 M) | ![]() |
4.16 | 6.9×10−5 |
cysteine | ![]() |
[1.71] (COOH) 8.36 (SH) 10.77 (NH3) |
[1.9×10−2] 4.4×10−9 1.7×10−11 |
dichloracetic acid | Cl2CHCOOH | 1.30 | 5.0×10−2 |
diethylamine | (CH3CH2)2NH+2 | 10.933 | 1.17×10−11 |
dimethylamine | (CH3)2NH+2 | 10.774 | 1.68×10−11 |
dimethylglyoxime | ![]() |
10.66 12.0 |
2.2×10−11 1.×10−12 |
ethylamine | CH3CH2NH+3 | 10.636 | 2.31×10−11 |
ethylenediamine | +H3NCH2CH2NH+3 |
6.848 9.928 |
1.42×10−7 1.18×10−10 |
ethylenediaminetetracetic acid (EDTA) (μ=0.1 M) |
![]() |
0.0 (COOH) 1.5 (COOH) 2.0 (COOH) 2.66 (COOH) 6.16 (NH) 10.24 (NH) |
1.0 3.2×10−2 1.0×10−2 2.2×10−3 6.9×10−7 5.8×10−11 |
formic acid | HCOOH | 3.745 | 1.80×10−4 |
fumaric acid | ![]() |
3.053 4.494 |
8.85×10−4 3.21×10−5 |
glutamic acid | ![]() |
2.33 (α-COOH) 4.42 (λ-COOH) 9.95 (NH3) |
5.9×10−3 3.8×10−5 1.12×10−10 |
glutamine | ![]() |
2.17 (COOH) 9.01 (NH3) |
6.8×10−3 9.8×10−10 |
glycine | ![]() |
2.350 (COOH) 9.778 (NH3) |
4.47×10−3 1.67×10−10 |
glycolic acid | HOOCH2COOH |
3.881 (COOH) |
1.48×10−4 |
histidine (μ=0.1 M) | ![]() |
1.7 (COOH) 6.02 (NH) 9.08 (NH3) |
2.×10−2 9.5×10−7 8.3×10−10 |
hydrogen cyanide | HCN | 9.21 | 6.2×10−10 |
hydrogen fluroride | HF | 3.17 | 6.8×10−4 |
hydrogen peroxide | H2O2 | 11.65 | 2.2×10−12 |
hydrogen sulfide | H2S |
7.02 13.9 |
9.5×10−8 1.3×10−14 |
hydrogen thiocyanate | HSCN | 0.9 | 1.3×10−1 |
8-hydroxyquinoline | ![]() |
4.9 (NH) 9.81 (OH) |
1.2×10−5 1.6×10−10 |
hydroxylamine | HONH+3 | 5.96 | 1.1×10−6 |
hypobromous acid | HOBr | 8.63 | 2.3×10−9 |
hypochlorous acid | \ce{HOCl} | 7.53 | 3.0\times 10^{-8} |
hypoiodous acid | \ce{HOI} | 10.64 | 2.3 \times 10^{-11} |
iodic acid | \ce{HIO3} | 0.77 | 1.7 \times 10^{-1} |
isoleucine | ![]() |
2.319 (COOH) 9.754 (\ce{NH3}) |
4.8 \times 10^{-3} 1.76 \times 10^{-10} |
leucine | ![]() |
2.329 (COOH) 9.747 (\ce{NH3}) |
4.69 \times 10^{-3} 1.79 \times 10^{-10} |
lysine (\mu = 0.1 \text{ M}) | ![]() |
2.04 (COOH) 9.08 (\alpha \text{-} \ce{NH3}) 10.69 (\epsilon \text{-} \ce{NH3}) |
9.1 \times 10^{-3} 8.3 \times 10^{-10} 2.0 \times 10^{-11} |
maleic acid | ![]() |
1.910 6.332 |
1.23 \times 10^{-2} 4.66 \times 10^{-7} |
malic acid | ![]() |
3.459 (COOH) 5.097 (COOH) |
3.48 \times 10^{-4} 8.00 \times 10^{-6} |
malonic acid | \ce{HOOCCH2COOH} |
2.847 5.696 |
1.42 \times 10^{-3} 2.01 \times 10^{-6} |
methionine (\mu = 0.1 \text{ M}) | ![]() |
2.20 (COOH) 9.05 (\ce{NH3}) |
6.3 \times 10^{-3} 8.9 \times 10^{-10} |
methylamine | \ce{CH3NH3+} | 10.64 | 2.3 \times 10^{-11} |
2-methylanaline | ![]() |
4.447 | 3.57 \times 10^{-5} |
4-methylanaline | ![]() |
5.084 | 8.24 \times 10^{-6} |
2-methylphenol | ![]() |
10.28 | 5.2 \times 10^{-11} |
4-methylphenol | ![]() |
10.26 | 5.5 \times 10^{-11} |
nitrilotriacetic acid (T = 20 \text{°C}), pK_\text{a1: } \mu = 0.1 \text{ M}) |
![]() |
1.1 (COOH) 1.650 (COOH) 2.940 (COOH) 10.334 (\ce{NH3}) |
8. \times 10^{-2} 2.24 \times 10^{-2} 1.15 \times 10^{-3} 4.63 \times 10^{-11} |
2-nitrobenzoic acid | ![]() |
2.179 | 6.62 \times 10^{-3} |
3-nitrobenzoic acid | ![]() |
3.449 | 3.56 \times 10^{-4} |
4-nitrobenzoic acid | ![]() |
3.442 | 3.61 \times 10^{-4} |
2-nitrophenol | ![]() |
7.21 | 6.2 \times 10^{-8} |
3-nitrophenol | ![]() |
8.39 | 4.1 \times 10^{-9} |
4-nitrophenol | ![]() |
7.15 | 7.1 \times 10^{-8} |
nitrous acid | \ce{HNO2} | 3.15 | 7.1 \times 10^{-4} |
oxalic acid | \ce{H2C2O4} |
1.252 4.266 |
5.60 \times 10^{-2} 5.42 \times 10^{-5} |
1,10-phenanthroline | ![]() |
4.86 | 1.38 \times 10^{-5} |
phenol | ![]() |
9.98 | 1.05 \times 10^{-10} |
phenylalanine | ![]() |
2.20 (COOH) 9.31 (\ce{NH3}) |
6.3 \times 10^{-3} 4.9 \times 10^{-10} |
phosphoric acid | \ce{H3PO4} |
2.148 7.199 12.35 |
7.11 \times 10^{-3} 6.32 \times 10^{-8} 4.5 \times 10^{-13} |
phthalic acid | ![]() |
2.950 5.408 |
1.12 \times 10^{-3} 3.91 \times 10^{-6} |
piperdine | ![]() |
11.123 | 7.53 \times 10^{-12} |
proline | ![]() |
1.952 (COOH) 10.650 (NH) |
1.12 \times 10^{-2} 2.29 \times 10^{-11} |
propanoic acid | \ce{CH3CH2COOH} |
4.874 |
1.34 \times 10^{-5} |
propylamine | \ce{CH3CH2CH2NH3+} | 10.566 | 2.72 \times 10^{-11} |
pyridine | ![]() |
5.229 | 5.90 \times 10^{-6} |
resorcinol | ![]() |
9.30 11.06 |
5.0 \times 10^{-10} 8.7 \times 10^{-12} |
salicylic acid | ![]() |
2.97 (COOH) 13.74 (OH) |
1.1 \times 10^{-3} 1.8 \times 10^{-14} |
serine | ![]() |
2.187 (COOH) 9.209 (\ce{NH3}) |
6.50 \times 10^{-3} 6.18 \times 10^{-10} |
succinic acid | ![]() |
4.207 5.636 |
6.21 \times 10^{-5} 2.31 \times 10^{-6} |
sulfuric acid | \ce{H2SO4} |
strong 1.99 |
— 1.0 \times 10^{-2} |
sulfurous acid | \ce{H2SO3} |
1.91 7.18 |
1.2 \times 10^{-2} 6.6 \times 10^{-8} |
D-tartaric acid | ![]() |
3.036 (COOH) 4.366 (COOH) |
9.20 \times 10^{-4} 4.31 \times 10^{-5} |
threonine | ![]() |
2.088 (COOH) 9.100 (\ce{NH3}) |
8.17 \times 10^{-3} 7.94 \times 10^{-10} |
thiosulfuric acid | \ce{H2S2O3} |
0.6 1.6 |
3. \times 10^{-1} 3. \times 10^{-2} |
trichloracetic acid (\mu = 0.1 \text{ M}) | \ce{Cl3CCOOH} | 0.66 | 2.2 \times 10^{-1} |
triethanolamine | \ce{(HOCH2CH2)3NH+} | 7.762 | 1.73 \times 10^{-8} |
triethylamine | \ce{(CH3CH2)3NH+} | 10.715 | 1.93 \times 10^{-11} |
trimethylamine | \ce{(CH3)3NH+} | 9.800 | 1.58 \times 10^{-10} |
tris(hydroxymethyl)amino methane (TRIS or THAM) | \ce{(HOCH2)3CNH3+} | 8.075 | 8.41 \times 10^{-9} |
tryptophan (\mu = 0.1 \text{ M}) | ![]() |
2.35 (COOH) 9.33 (\ce{NH3}) |
4.5 \times 10^{-3} 4.7 \times 10^{-10} |
tyrosine (pK_\text{a1: } \mu = 0.1 \text{ M}) | ![]() |
2.17 (COOH) 9.19 (\ce{NH3}) 10.47 (OH) |
6.8 \times 10^{-3} 6.5 \times 10^{-10} 3.4 \times 10^{-11} |
valine | ![]() |
2.286 (COOH) 9.718 (\ce{NH3}) |
5.18 \times 10^{-3} 1.91 \times 10^{-10} |