Question

If a base is added to water, what will occur?

Answer 1

Adding a base to water triggers a base ionization reaction, resulting in the formation of hydroxide ions and a conjugate acid, which increases the solution's pH. Strong bases fully dissociate, while weak bases only partially ionize.

Step-by-step explanation:

When a base is added to water, a base ionization reaction occurs. This reaction involves the transfer of protons from water molecules to the base molecules, producing hydroxide ions (OH-) and a conjugate acid of the base. For instance, if we take pyridine, C5NH5, as a base, adding it to water will result in the formation of hydroxide ions and pyridinium ions. This process increases the pH of the solution as it raises the concentration of hydroxide ions. Strong bases, like soluble ionic hydroxides (e.g., NaOH), dissociate completely in water, leading to a significant increase in OH- concentration, while weak bases yield a smaller proportion of hydroxide ions.

A general reaction for base ionization can be represented as B(aq) + H₂O(l) ⇒ HB*(aq) + OH⁻(aq), where B is the base and HB* is the conjugate acid formed. This reaction is essential for understanding acid-base chemistry, where bases are seen as proton acceptors and their strength can be gauged by how completely they ionize in water.

Answer 2

This will increase the concentration of [OH-] ions.
For example:
- Ammonia NH3 (base):
NH3(aq) + H2O (l) → NH4+ + OH-

and
-NaOH:
NaOH(s) + H2O(l) → Na+ + OH-
and KOH:
KOH(s) → K+(aq) + OH-(aq)

So we can see that the base increase the [OH-] & increase the characteristic anion [OH-] of the solvent.