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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.
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.
Strong bases are leveling solvents for acids, weak bases are differentiating solvents for acids. In a leveling solvent, many acids are completely dissociated and are thus of the same strength. All acids tend to become indistinguishable in strength when dissolved in strongly basic solvents owing to the greater affinity of strong bases for protons.
However, the acids and bases must differ greatly in strength, e.g. one strong acid and one very weak acid. [1] Therefore, the two acids must have a pK a (or pK b) difference that is as large as possible. For example, the following can be separated: Very weak acids like phenols (pK a around 10) from stronger acids like carboxylic acids [1] (pK a ...
However, for weak acids, a quadratic equation must be solved, and for weak bases, a cubic equation is required. In general, a set of non-linear simultaneous equations must be solved. Water itself is a weak acid and a weak base, so its dissociation must be taken into account at high pH and low solute concentration (see Amphoterism).
Acetic acid is an example of a weak acid. The pH of the neutralized solution resulting from HA + OH − → H 2 O + A −. is not close to 7, as with a strong acid, but depends on the acid dissociation constant, K a, of the acid. The pH at the end-point or equivalence point in a titration may be calculated as follows.
Nitric acid, with a pK value of around −1.7, behaves as a strong acid in aqueous solutions with a pH greater than 1. [23] At lower pH values it behaves as a weak acid. pK a values for strong acids have been estimated by theoretical means. [24] For example, the pK a value of aqueous HCl has been estimated as −9.3.
When some strong acid is added to an equilibrium mixture of the weak acid and its conjugate base, hydrogen ions (H +) are added, and the equilibrium is shifted to the left, in accordance with Le Chatelier's principle. Because of this, the hydrogen ion concentration increases by less than the amount expected for the quantity of strong acid added.