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Acid and Base Strength definitions

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  • Strong Acid
    Substance that fully dissociates in water, producing only ions and leaving no original molecules; products are highly favored.
  • Weak Acid
    Substance that partially dissociates in water, resulting in a mixture where most remains unreacted; reactants are favored.
  • Strong Base
    Compound that completely dissociates in water, yielding only ions and no remaining original substance; products dominate.
  • Weak Base
    Compound that only partially dissociates in water, with most of the substance remaining in its original form; reactants dominate.
  • Electrolyte
    Substance that produces ions in water, enabling electrical conductivity; strength depends on degree of dissociation.
  • Dissociation
    Process where a compound separates into ions in water, determining the strength of acids and bases.
  • Conjugate Base
    Species formed when an acid donates a proton; its strength is inversely related to the original acid's strength.
  • Conjugate Acid
    Species formed when a base accepts a proton; its strength is inversely related to the original base's strength.
  • Affinity for Protons
    Tendency of a substance to attract and accept H+ ions; higher values indicate stronger bases or conjugate bases.
  • Hydronium Ion
    Ion formed when water accepts a proton, represented as H3O+; central to acid-base reactions in water.
  • Product Side
    Side of a chemical equation where ions or new substances are formed; highly favored in strong acid/base reactions.
  • Reactant Side
    Side of a chemical equation where original substances remain; highly favored in weak acid/base reactions.
  • Inverse Relationship
    Concept where increasing the strength of an acid or base results in a weaker conjugate partner, and vice versa.
  • Group 1A Metal Hydroxide
    Compound formed from alkali metals and hydroxide ions, known for complete dissociation and strong basicity.
  • Partial Ionization
    Condition where only a fraction of molecules separate into ions in solution, characteristic of weak acids and bases.