pKa vs Ka

[605208780]

Why is pKa preffered over Ka?

[105335337]

Ka is the disassociation factor while pKa is the pH of the Ka factor. For example. If an acid has a pKa of 1.0x10^-7, the pKa will be 7.

[605208780]

Okay I talked to someone about this question and I also found out that pKa is preferred it is the log version of the number and therefore easier to compare and use rather than the scientific powers of Ka

[Jorge Ramirez_4H]

Is Ka referring to a base or an acid?

[Sophia Shaka 3L]

Ka is the acid dissociation constant.
Also, this same logic is why pH is preferred over simply quantifying [H+].

[Sanjana K - 2F]

For a very weak acid, the Ka can be an extremely small number, so to deal with such numbers, we use the pKa, which converts the Ka values to larger numbers we're more familiar with. It also allows for convenience with graphing.

[BritneyP- 2c]

pKa is preferred because it is the log version of Ka, which is easier to compare than using Ka.