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Acid/Base Theory – Arrhenius Theory
Acid/Base Theory – Arrhenius Theory:
Theory that classifies a substance as an acid or base
• An acid is a molecule that starts with an H and yields H+ as the only positive ion in a solution.
HCl is an acid because it starts with an H.
H+ is also known as H3O+ or hydronium. ( Reffy, Table E – p. 2)
• A base is a molecule that ends with OH and yields OH— as the only negative ion in a solution.
NaOH
OH— is also known as hydroxide. ( Reffy, Table E – p. 2)
Important exception: Anything that starts with CH3 is NOT a base, even if it ends in OH.
CH3OH is not a base even though in ends in OH.
Exception to this exception: The only base that starts with CH3 is CH3COOH – Reffy, Table K (p. 6) lists it as a common acid.
There are many Regents questions on this topic.
The last base you reach
in baseball is home base. The last letters
in a base molecule are OH (sort of like HOme).
UNIT 9: ACIDS AND BASES © 336
