Acids and bases

Arrhenius Acid

A substance that increases the concentration of hydrogen ions (H+) when dissolved in water.

Arrhenius Base

A substance that increases the concentration of hydroxide ions (OH-) when dissolved in water.

Bronsted-Lowry Acid

A substance that can donate a proton (H+).

Bronsted-Lowry Base

A substance that can accept a proton (H+).

Conjugate Acid-Base Pair

Two substances where one is the acid and the other is the base when a proton is transferred.

Conjugate Base

The species formed when a Bronsted-Lowry acid loses a proton.

Conjugate Acid

The species formed when a Bronsted-Lowry base gains a proton.

Strong Acid/Base

An acid/base that completely dissociates in water, forming a high concentration of H+ or OH- ions.

Weak Acid/Base

An acid/base that only partially dissociates in water, forming a low concentration of H+ or OH- ions.

Hydronium Ion (H3O+)

The stable form of hydrogen ion in aqueous solutions.

Hydroxide Ion (OH-)

The stable form of the hydroxide group in aqueous solutions.

Buffer

A solution that resists changes in pH upon the addition of small amounts of acid or base.

Dissociation

The process where a compound separates into its constituent ions.

Neutral

A solution with a pH of 7, where [H3O+] = [OH-].

Titration

A laboratory technique used to determine the unknown concentration of an acid or base by completely neutralizing it with a solution of known concentration.

Water Dissociation Constant (Kw)

The product of the concentrations of hydronium and hydroxide ions in pure water, equal to 1 x 10^-14 at 25°C.