Acid-Base Equilibrium Review

These flashcards cover key terminology and concepts related to acid-base equilibrium, important for exam preparation.

Acid

A substance that ionizes in solution to produce H+ or H3O+.

Base

A substance that ionizes in solution to produce OH-.

Strong Acid

An acid that ionizes completely in solution.

Weak Acid

An acid that does not ionize completely in solution.

Percent Ionization

A measure of how much of the acid has ionized, calculated as (hydrogen ion concentration at equilibrium / initial concentration of acid) x 100%.

Bronsted-Lowry Acid

A proton (H+) donor.

Bronsted-Lowry Base

A proton acceptor.

Conjugate Acid

The species formed when a base accepts a proton.

Conjugate Base

The species that remains after an acid donates a proton.

Autoionization of Water

The reaction of water with itself to form H3O+ and OH-.

Kw

The ion product of water, equal to [H3O+][OH-] and is 1.0 x 10-14 at 25°C.

Neutralization Reaction

The reaction between an acid and a base to form water and an ionic salt.

Buffer

A solution containing a weak acid or base that resists changes in pH.

Le Chatelier’s Principle

A principle stating that a system at equilibrium will adjust to offset any changes applied to it.

ICE Box

A table used to calculate the concentrations of species at equilibrium.

Titration

The process of adding a solution of known concentration to determine the concentration of an unknown solution.

Equivalence Point

The point in a titration at which the moles of acid equal the moles of base.

pH

The negative logarithm of the hydrogen ion concentration; a measure of acidity.