Question

chemistry: fundamentals and principles
davidson
presented by macmillan learning
classify the compounds as a strong acid, weak acid, strong base, or weak base.
answer bank
nh₃ hcl naoh ca(oh)₂ h₂so₃ h₂so₄ h₃bo₃

Explanation:

• Strong acids completely dissociate in water. \(HCl\) (hydrochloric acid) and \(H_2SO_4\) (sulfuric acid) are strong acids as they fully release \(H^+\) ions.
• Weak acids partially dissociate. \(H_2SO_3\) (sulfurous acid) and \(H_3BO_3\) (boric acid) are weak acids as only a small fraction of their molecules donate \(H^+\) ions.
• Strong bases like \(NaOH\) (sodium hydroxide) and \(Ca(OH)_2\) (calcium hydroxide) completely dissociate to give \(OH^-\) ions.
• Weak bases only partially accept \(H^+\) ions. \(NH_3\) (ammonia) is a weak base as it forms \(NH_4^+\) and \(OH^-\) in a limited extent.

Answer:

• Strong acid: \(HCl\), \(H_2SO_4\)
• Weak acid: \(H_2SO_3\), \(H_3BO_3\)
• Strong base: \(NaOH\), \(Ca(OH)_2\)
• Weak base: \(NH_3\)