CHEM10004 Chapter Notes -Nitration, Halogenation, Polarizability
4 Nov 2013
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Acidity and bacidity are related to a molecules electronegativity and polarity. Acids donate protons, and bases accept protons. Water can act either as an acid or a base. Acids differ in their ability to donate protons, some reacting almost completely and others only slightly. The strength is indicated by the acidity constant, which resembles the degree to which an acid is ionised in solution. Stronger acids have their equilibria more towards the right and have larger acidity constants. A stronger acid has a smaller pka and a weaker acid has a larger pka. There is an inverse relationship between the acid strength of an acid and base strength of its conjugate base. An acid will donate a proton to the conjugate base of a weaker acid, and the conjugate base of a weaker acid will remove the proton from a stronger acid. The product conjugate acid in an acid-base reaction must be weaker and less reactive than the starting base.
