A weak base is one that does not completely dissociate into its ions in water.
Imagine you have a bag full of candy and you only share some pieces but keep most for yourself. That's what weak bases do - they only partially give up their hydroxide ions when dissolved in water.
Base Dissociation Constant (Kb): The equilibrium constant for the reaction of a base with water to form conjugate acid and hydroxide ion.
pOH: It measures the basicity or alkalinity of an aqueous solution on a logarithmic scale.
Hydroxide Ion (OH-): The negative ion formed by one oxygen bonded to one hydrogen; it can be found in many bases.
© 2024 Fiveable Inc. All rights reserved.
AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.