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The Brønsted-Lowry theory defines acids and bases based on their ability to donate or accept protons (H+ ions).
Key Concepts:
Acid: A species that donates a proton (H+).
Base: A species that accepts a proton (H+).
Conjugate Acid-Base Pair: An acid and its corresponding base differ by a single proton.
Examples:
HCl (acid) + H2O (base) ⇌ H3O+ (conjugate acid) + Cl- (conjugate base)
NH3 (base) + H2O (acid) ⇌ NH4+ (conjugate acid) + OH- (conjugate base)
Notes:
The strength of an acid or base is determined by its tendency to donate or accept protons.
The equilibrium constant (Ka or Kb) can be used to quantify the strength of an acid or base.
The Brønsted-Lowry theory expands on the Arrhenius theory, which only defined acids as substances that produce H+ ions in solution and bases as substances that produce OH- ions in solution.