autoprotolysis

[Vanessa Reyes_1K]

Hey can someone explain what autoprotolysis is? When is it used in acid and base reactions? Thanks!

[Daniel Lai]

Autoprotolysis is when water ionizes itself by donating a proton to another water molecule, but the liquid water remains neutral. This helps us derive the equation [H3O+][OH-] = Kw which is helpful in acid base calculations.

[Fanny Lee 2K]

Autoprotolysis is happening automatically in aqueous solutions. Lavelle talked about how in weak acids and bases, this concept can play a role of their concentration on the pH as a whole. If values are smaller than 10^-7, their effect is not great enough to change the pH from its neutral state.