Chemistry: Acids, Bases, and Equilibrium

This set of flashcards covers key concepts related to acids, bases, dissociation, equilibrium, and thermodynamics in chemistry.

Strong Acid

An acid that completely dissociates in solution with essentially no reactants left at equilibrium (e.g., HCl, HNO3).

Strong Base

A base that completely ionizes in solution, resulting in a large equilibrium constant (e.g., NaOH, KOH).

Weak Acid

An acid that partially dissociates in solution, with most remaining in the undissociated form at equilibrium.

Dissociation

The process by which a compound splits into smaller molecules or ions, especially in the context of acids and bases.

Equilibrium Constant (K)

A numerical value that expresses the ratio of products to reactants at equilibrium; unitless and dependent on temperature.

pH Scale

A scale used to measure the acidity or basicity of a solution, defined as pH = -log[H+].

pOH Scale

A scale used to measure the basicity of a solution, defined as pOH = -log[OH-].

Le Chatelier's Principle

A principle stating that if a system at equilibrium is subjected to a change in concentration, temperature, or pressure, the system will adjust to counteract that change.

Catalyst

A substance that speeds up a reaction by lowering the activation energy without affecting the position of equilibrium.

Gibbs Free Energy (ΔG)

A thermodynamic quantity that indicates the spontaneity of a reaction; negative ΔG indicates a spontaneous reaction.

Concentration

The amount of a substance in a given volume; affects the rates of reactions and equilibrium positions.

Kw

The ion product of water at 25°C, equal to [H+][OH-]; Kw = 1.0 x 10^-14.

Percent Dissociation

The ratio of dissociated acid or base to the initial concentration, expressed as a percentage.

First Order Reaction

A reaction where the rate depends linearly on only one reactant's concentration.