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Unit 3: Acids Base Chemistry

  • Page ID
    207318
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    Unit 3 Objectives

    By the end of this unit, you will be able to:

    • Define acids and bases using Arrhenius and Bronsted-Lowry models
    • Identify acids, bases, conjugate acids and conjugate bases in reactions 
    • Calculate pH, pOH, [H+}, and [OH-] from [acid] or [base] for SA/SB and WA/WBs 
    • Describe the relationship between Ka/Kb for conjugate acid/base pair
    • Describe structural attributes of molecules that affect acid strength. 

    • 3.1: Heartburn
      Heartburn is caused by a buildup of excessive amounts of stomach acid, particularly HCl. This acid is used to digest the food we eat, but it can often back up into the esophagus causing that burning sensation many of us are familiar with.
    • 3.2: The Nature of Acids and Bases
      In chemistry, acids and bases have been defined differently by three sets of theories: One is the Arrhenius definition defined above, which revolves around the idea that acids are substances that ionize (break off) in an aqueous solution to produce hydrogen (H+) ions while bases produce hydroxide (OH-) ions in solution. The other two definitions are discussed in detail alter in the chapter and include the Brønsted-Lowry definition and the Lewis theory.
    • 3.3: Definitions of Acids and Bases
      A compound that can donate a proton (a hydrogen ion) to another compound is called a Brønsted-Lowry acid. The compound that accepts the proton is called a Brønsted-Lowry base. The species remaining after a Brønsted-Lowry acid has lost a proton is the conjugate base of the acid. The species formed when a Brønsted-Lowry base gains a proton is the conjugate acid of the base. Thus, an acid-base reaction occurs when a proton is transferred from an acid to a base.
    • 3.4: Acid Strength and the Acid Dissociation Constant (Ka)
      Acid–base reactions always contain two conjugate acid–base pairs. Each acid and each base has an associated ionization constant that corresponds to its acid or base strength. Two species that differ by only a proton constitute a conjugate acid–base pair. The magnitude of the equilibrium constant for an ionization reaction can be used to determine the relative strengths of acids and bases.
    • 3.5: Autoionization of Water and pH
      Water is amphiprotic: it can act as an acid by donating a proton to a base to form the hydroxide ion, or as a base by accepting a proton from an acid to form the hydronium ion ( H3O+ ). The autoionization of liquid water produces OH− and H3O+ ions. The equilibrium constant for this reaction is called the ion-product constant of liquid water (Kw) and is defined as Kw=[H3O+][OH−] . At 25°C, Kw is 1.01×10−14 ; hence pH+pOH=pKw=14.00 .
    • 3.6: Finding the [H3O+] and pH of Strong and Weak Acid Solutions
      Acid–base reactions always contain two conjugate acid–base pairs. Each acid and each base has an associated ionization constant that corresponds to its acid or base strength. Two species that differ by only a proton constitute a conjugate acid–base pair. The magnitude of the equilibrium constant for an ionization reaction can be used to determine the relative strengths of acids and bases.
    • 3.7: Acid Strength and Molecular Structure
      Inductive effects and charge delocalization significantly influence the acidity or basicity of a compound. The acid–base strength of a molecule depends strongly on its structure. The weaker the A–H or B–H+ bond, the more likely it is to dissociate to form an H+H+ ion. In addition, any factor that stabilizes the lone pair on the conjugate base favors the dissociation of H+H+ , making the conjugate acid a stronger acid.
    • 3.8: Lewis Acids and Bases
      Lewis proposed that the electron pair is the dominant actor in acid-base chemistry. An Lewis acid is a substance that accepts a pair of electrons, and in doing so, forms a covalent bond with the entity that supplies the electrons. A Lewis base is a substance that donates an unshared pair of electrons to a recipient species with which the electrons can be shared. Lewis acis/base theory is a powerful tool for describing many chemical reactions used in organic and inorganic chemistry.


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