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Acid Base Equilibria
Acid Base Equilibria
Conjugate Pairs
But there is also a back reaction between the hydroxonium ion and the A- ion:
The H3O+ is an acid because it is donating a proton (hydrogen ion) to the A- ion.
The A- ion is a base because it is accepting a proton from the H3O+.
The reversible reaction contains two acids and two bases. We think of them in pairs,
called conjugate pairs.
When the acid, HA, loses a proton it forms a base, A-. When the base, A-, accepts a proton back
again, it obviously refoms the acid, HA. These two are a conjugate pair.
Members of a conjugate pair differ from each other by the presence or absence of the
transferable hydrogen ion.
The water is acting as an acid, and its conjugate base is the hydroxide ion. The hydroxide ion can
accept a hydrogen ion to reform the water.
Looking at it from the other side, the ammonium ion is an acid, and ammonia is its conjugate
base. The hydroxide ion is a base and water is its conjugate acid.
That means that if the concentration of the acid is 0.1 mol dm-3, then the concentration of
hydrogen ions is also 0.1 mol dm-3.
log10 [0.1] = -1
- (-1) = 1
The equilibrium for the dissociation of ethanoic acid is properly written as:
[H+] = [CH3COO-]
Remember that:
Since pH is a measure of hydrogen ion concentration, how can a solution which contains
hydroxide ions have a pH?
Calculate the pH of a solution of NaOH(aq) of concentration 0.005 mol dm-3.
NaOH(aq) Na+(aq) + OH-(aq)
From the equation:
1 mole of NaOH produces 1 mole of OH-
0.005 mole of NaOH produces 0.005 mole of OH-
pOH = -log[OH-] = -log[0.005] = 2.3
pH= 14- pOH = 14- 2.3 = 11.7
Weak acids an pH
The Base Dissociation Constant
Calculate the pH of 0.15 moldm-3 NH3(aq), given that Kb for NH3(aq) is 1.8 x 10-5 moldm-3.
Water molecules can function as both acids and bases. One water molecule (acting as a base)
can accept a hydrogen ion from a second one (acting as an acid). The net effect is that an
equilibrium is set up.
This equilibrium written in a simplified form:
Kw is essentially just an equilibrium constant for the reactions shown. You may meet it in two
forms:
Like any other equilibrium constant, the value of Kw varies with temperature. Its value is usually
taken to be 1.00 x 10-14 mol2dm-6 at room temperature. In fact, this is its value at a bit less than
25°C.
The relationship between Kw and pKw is exactly the same as that between Ka and pKa, or [H+]
and pH.
Acid Base Indicators
Litmus is a weak acid. It has a seriously complicated molecule which we will simplify to HLit.
The "H" is the proton which can be given away to something else. The "Lit" is the rest of the
weak acid molecule.
There will be an equilibrium established when this acid dissolves in water. Taking the simplified
version of this equilibrium:
Now use Le Chatelier's Principle to work out what would happen if you added hydroxide ions or
some more hydrogen ions to this equilibrium.
pH Range of Indicators
Indicators don't change colour sharply at one particular pH. Instead, they change over a narrow
range of pH.
The graph below is the typical graph of an acid base titration where the pH is measure on
addition of small amounts of acid or base until well beyond endpoint.
An indicator can only be used if it falls within the vertical section of the graph.
Both phenolphthalein and methly orange do that. BUT the most suitable indicator also has to be
close the the equivalence point. Since phenolphthalein is closer than methyl orange, it is the most
suitable indicator for the titration.