IONIC EQUILIBRIA

THEORIES ON ACIDS & BASES

1. Arrhenius Theory (Svante Arrhenius)
2. Bronsted-Lowry Theory (Johannes Nicolaus Bronsted & Thomas Martin Lowry)
3. Lewis Theory (Gilbert Lewis)
1.

Identify
a.
b.
c.
d.

the conjugate acid/base pairs in each of the reactions:

CN- + H2O HCN + OHHClO + CH3NH2 CH3NH3+ + ClOH2PO4- + NH3 HPO42- + NH4+
HCO3- + HCO3- H2CO3 + CO32-

ACID-BASE PROPERTIES OF WATER & THE ION PRODUCT CONSTANT

can act as either a base or an acid (amphiprotic)

it undergoes autoionization/autoprotolysis into hydronium ion (H3O+) and hydroxide ion (OH-)
H2O + H2O H3O+ + OHacid 1

base 2

acid 2

base 1

Kc = [H3O+] [OH-]
at 25C in pure water, [H3O+] = [OH-] = 1.0 x 10-7
the equilibrium constant for the self-ionization of water is called the ion-product constant, Kw at 25C.
Kw = [H3O+] [OH-] = 1.0 x 10-14
2.
3.

The concentration of OH- ions in a certain household ammonia cleaning solution is 0.0025 M. Determine the concentration of
H+ ions.
Calculate the concentration of [OH-] in a HCl solution whose [H+] concentration is 1.3 M.

pH and pOH
pH

potential of hydrogen ion (Soren Sorensen)

defined as the negative of the logarithm of [H3O+]
pH = -log[H3O+]

pOH

defined as the negative of the logarithm of [OH-]

pOH = -log[OH-]

Acidic solutions :
Basic solutions
:
Neutral solutions :

[H3O+] > 1.0 x 10-7 M, pH < 7.00

[H3O+] < 1.0 x 10-7 M, pH > 7.00
[H3O+] = 1.0 x 10-7 M, pH = 7.00
pKw = - log 1.0 x 10-14 = 14.00
pKw = pH + pOH = 14.00

4.
5.
6.

Nitric acid is used in the production of fertilizer, dyes, drugs & explosives. Calculate the pH of a HNO 3 solution having a
hydrogen ion concentration of 0.760 M.
The OH- ion concentration of a blood sample is 2.5 x 10-7 M. What is the pH of the blood?
The pH of a solution of HCl in water is found to be 2.50. What is the H + ion concentration?

IONIZATION OF ACIDS AND BASES

Ka and Kb are called the acid ionization constant and base ionization constant, respectively.
Ka and Kb tells us the degree of dissociation of the acid or base in water. It also tells us the relative strength of the acid or base.
The higher the value of Ka (or Kb), the greater its ionization in water, the higher the acidity (or basicity) of the solution.

PERCENT IONIZATION

gives the proportion of ionized molecules on a percentage basis.

determines the strength of an acid or base
the greater the percent ionization, the stronger the acid or base.
% ionization = equilibrium conc of H+/OH- x 100
initial conc of acid or base

7.

Calculate the pH and percent ionization of the following:

a. 1M HCl
b. 1M KOH
c. 1M HC2H3O2 (Ka = 1.8 x10-5)
d. 0.1 M HC2H3O2 (Ka = 1.8 x10-5)
1

d. 1M NH3 (Ka = 1.8 x10-5)

Butyric Acid, HC4H7O2, is used to make compounds employed in artificial flavorings and syrups. A 0.250 M aqueous solution of
butyric acid is found to have a pH of 2.72. Determine K a for butyric acid?
9. The much-abused drug cocaine is an alkaloid. Alkaloids are noted for their bitter taste, which indicates that they are bases.
Cocaine, C17H21O4N, is soluble in water to the extent of 0.17g/100 mL solution, and a saturated solution has a pH of 10.08.
What is the Kb for cocaine?
C17H21O4N + H2O C17H21O4NH+ + OH10. What is the pH of 0.00250 M HNO2(aq) whose pKa is equal to 3.14?
11. A 0.0284 M aqueous solution of lactic acid, a substance that accumulates in the blood and muscles during physical activity, is
found to be 6.7% ionized. Determine the value of K a for lactic acid.
HC3H5O3 + H2O H3O+ + C3H5O38.