Introduction (Chapter 14)

Acid-Base Equilibria

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Figure 14.1 Sinkholes such as this are the result of reactions between acidic groundwaters and basic rock formations, like limestone. (credit: modification of work by Emil Kehnel)

Chapter Outline
  • 14.1 Brønsted-Lowry Acids and Bases
  • 14.2 pH and pOH
  • 14.3 Relative Strengths of Acids and Bases
  • 14.4 Hydrolysis of Salts
  • 14.5 Polyprotic Acids
  • 14.6 Buffers
  • 14.7 Acid-Base Titrations
Introduction

Liquid water is essential to life on our planet, and chemistry involving the characteristic ions of water, H+ and OH, is widely encountered in nature and society. As introduced in another chapter of this text, acid-base chemistry involves the transfer of hydrogen ions from donors (acids) to acceptors (bases). These H+ transfer reactions are reversible, and the equilibria established by acid-base systems are essential aspects of phenomena ranging from sinkhole formation (Figure 14.1) to oxygen transport in the human body. This chapter will further explore acid-base chemistry with an emphasis on the equilibrium aspects of this important reaction class.

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Chemistry 112 (Chapters 12-17 of OpenStax General Chemistry) Copyright © 2019 by Rice University is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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