ACID-BASE EQUILIBRIA

Acid Base

● Tastes sour ● Tastes bitter

● Cause dyes to ● Feel soapy
change color

Definition Acid Base

Arrhenius Increases [H⁺] when Increases [OH⁻]

dissolved in solution when dissolved in
solution

Bronsted- H⁺ donor H⁺ acceptor

Lowry

ARRHENIUS — it is acceptable to represent the proton in aqueous

solution as H⁺ or as H₃O⁺. the formula H⁺ is less
Acid Base cumbersome in calculations involving hydrogen ion
concentrations and in calculations involving equilibrium
● An acid is a ● A base is a constants, whereas H₃O⁺ is more useful in a discussion of
substance that, substance that, Brønsted acid-base properties.
when dissolved in when dissolved in
water, increases water, increases CONJUGATE ACIDS AND BASES
the concentration the concentration
of hydrogen ions of hydroxide ions ● In any acid-base equilibrium, both the forward
reaction (to the right) and the reverse reaction (to
the left) involve proton transfer
– the arrhenius concept of acids and bases, while useful, is
rather limited. For one thing, it is restricted to aqueous
solutions only.

BRONSTED-LOWRY — an acid and a base such as HA and A- that differ only in

the presence or absence of a proton are called a conjugate
Brønsted Acid Brønsted Base acid-base pair

● A substance that ● A substance that ● Two formula that differ by H⁺ are called a
donates a proton accepts a proton conjugate acid-base pair
(H⁺) (H⁺) ● Reactions between acids and bases always yield
their conjugate bases and acids

— their concept is based on the fact that acid-base reactions

involve the transfer of H⁺ ions from one substance to
another

WATER AS A PROTON ACCEPTOR

● When a hydrogen ion is formed in water, it does

not exist alone for long!
● H-bonds form with water forming hydronium ion

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 substance is one which can
both donate hydrogen ions
(protons) and also accept
them

All amphiprotic substances are also amphoteric.

Not all amphoteric are amphiprotic (there are amphoteric
substances which don’t either donate or accept hydrogen
ions when they act as acids or bases)

RELATIVE STRENGTHS OF ACIDS AND BASES AUTOIONIZATION OF WATER

● The stronger an acid, the weaker its conjugate base, ● Water is amphoteric
and ● In pure water, a few molecules act as bases an a
● The stronger the base, the weaker its conjugate few act as acids
acid. ● This is referred to as autoionization

WHAT IS DIFFERENT ABOUT WATER?

● Water can act as a Bronsted base and accept a

proton from an acid

● It can also donate a proton and act as an acid

● This makes water amphiprotic and amphoteric

○ An amphiprotic/amphoteric substance acts
as a base when combined with something
more strongly acidic that itself and as an
acid when combined with something more
strongly basic than itself

Amphiprotic Amphoteric

An amphiprotic (‘amphi’ - Amphoteric means that a

means both; ‘protic’ - substance has reactions as
refers to the proton) both acid and base

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