Unit 7: Acids, Bases, and Salts

Flashcards covering key vocabulary from the Acids, Bases, and Salts lecture notes.

Acid

A substance that yields H+ ions as the only cations in solution, tastes sour, and reacts with certain metals to produce hydrogen gas.

Base

A substance that yields OH- ions as the only anions in solution (Arrhenius theory), tastes bitter, and feels slippery.

Bronsted-Lowry Acid

A molecule or ion that can lose an H+ (proton) to another species; a proton donor.

Bronsted-Lowry Base

A molecule or ion that can gain an H+ (proton) from another species; a proton acceptor.

Conjugate Acid

The species produced when a base accepts a hydrogen ion (H+).

Conjugate Base

The species produced when an acid donates a hydrogen ion (H+).

Amphiprotic (Amphoteric) Substance

A substance that can act as either an acid or a base depending on whether it accepts or donates a proton (e.g., water).

Electrolyte

A compound that dissociates in water to form ions that can carry an electric current.

Strong Electrolyte

A substance that completely dissociates into ions in water.

Weak Electrolyte

A substance that partially dissociates into ions in water, existing as both ions and compounds.

Neutralization Reaction

A reaction in which an acid and a base react in an aqueous solution to produce a salt and water.

Salt

An ionic compound formed from the reaction of an acid and a base.

pH

A mathematical scale expressing the concentration of hydronium (hydrogen) ions in a solution, ranging from 0 to 14.

Indicator

A substance that changes color depending on the approximate pH of the solution.

Titration

The process by which the molarity of an unknown acid or base is determined by neutralizing it with a solution of known molarity.

Titration's Endpoint

The point in a titration when the number of moles of acid (H+) equals the number of moles of base (OH-).