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Potassium hydroxide is an inorganic compound with the formula K OH, and is commonly called caustic potash. Along with sodium hydroxide (NaOH), KOH is a prototypical strong base. It has many industrial and niche applications, most of which utilize its caustic nature and its reactivity toward acids.
For example, acetic acid is a weak acid which has a = 1.75 x 10 −5. Its conjugate base is the acetate ion with K b = 10 −14 /K a = 5.7 x 10 −10 (from the relationship K a × K b = 10 −14), which certainly does not correspond to a strong base. The conjugate of a weak acid is often a weak base and vice versa.
An example of a weak base is ammonia. It does not contain hydroxide ions, but it reacts with water to produce ammonium ions and hydroxide ions. [4] The position of equilibrium varies from base to base when a weak base reacts with water. The further to the left it is, the weaker the base. [5]
In chemistry, acid value (AV, acid number, neutralization number or acidity) is a number used to quantify the acidity of a given chemical substance.It is the quantity of base (usually potassium hydroxide (KOH)), expressed as milligrams of KOH required to neutralize the acidic constituents in 1 gram of a sample.
KOH is a strong base, which is used in industry to neutralize strong and weak acids, to control pH and to manufacture potassium salts. It is also used to saponify fats and oils, in industrial cleaners, and in hydrolysis reactions, for example of esters. [73] [74]
For example, hydrochloric acid, HCl, is a strong acid. HCl(aq) → H + (aq) + Cl − (aq) A strong base is one that is fully dissociated in aqueous solution. For example, sodium hydroxide, NaOH, is a strong base. NaOH(aq) → Na + (aq) + OH − (aq) Therefore, when a strong acid reacts with a strong base the neutralization reaction can be ...
On the other hand, if a chemical is a weak acid its conjugate base will not necessarily be strong. Consider that ethanoate, the conjugate base of ethanoic acid, has a base splitting constant (Kb) of about 5.6 × 10 −10, making it a weak base. In order for a species to have a strong conjugate base it has to be a very weak acid, like water.
It can be prepared by treating a potassium-containing base such as potassium hydroxide or potassium carbonate with acetic acid: CH 3 COOH + KOH → CH 3 COOK + H 2 O. This sort of reaction is known as an acid-base neutralization reaction. At saturation, the sesquihydrate in water solution (CH 3 COOK·1½H 2 O) begins to form semihydrate at 41.3 ...