## What is the Conjugate Seesaw

Acidity $K_{a}$
Basicity $K_{b}$
The Conjugate Seesaw $K_{a}\times K_{b}=K_{w}$

samanthaywu
Posts: 90
Joined: Wed Sep 30, 2020 9:51 pm

### What is the Conjugate Seesaw

Can someone explain this idea of the conjugate seesaw? I don't really remember learning this before, but I'm curious what it is because it sounds interesting!

Gwendolyn Hill 2F
Posts: 110
Joined: Wed Sep 30, 2020 9:39 pm
Been upvoted: 3 times

### Re: What is the Conjugate Seesaw

I believe that the conjugate see-saw concept is about the stronger the acid, the weaker the conjugate base, and the stronger the base, the weaker the conjugate acid. Like a seesaw! The stronger acid will "weigh down" their side of the seesaw, and therefore the base will be "higher up", at a weaker point. Same for a stronger base! I believe the reasoning behind this is because stronger acids produce weaker conjugate bases b/c the bases are less likely to accept the protons that would create the acid again.

Joseph_Armani_3K
Posts: 78
Joined: Wed Sep 30, 2020 9:58 pm

### Re: What is the Conjugate Seesaw

The stronger the acid, the weaker the conjugate base, and the stronger the base, the weaker the conjugate acid. This is because, for example in strong acids, the proton transfer equilibrium favors the formation of H3O+ ions, therefore, the splitting of the H+ ion from the strong acid. Thus, the conjugate base is weak because equilibrium doesn't favor the formation of OH-.

Sahaj Patel Lec3DisK
Posts: 129
Joined: Wed Sep 30, 2020 10:03 pm
Been upvoted: 1 time

### Re: What is the Conjugate Seesaw

Essentially, the stronger the acid, the weaker its conjugate base. The stronger the base, the weaker its conjugate acid.

Posts: 153
Joined: Wed Sep 30, 2020 9:47 pm
Been upvoted: 3 times

### Re: What is the Conjugate Seesaw

I kind of like to draw it out and physically visualize a seesaw. When a stronger acid is present, then that means that the acid's conjugate base will be weaker. Vice versa for a stronger base. When a stronger base is present, then that means that the base's conjugate acid will be weaker.

Aliya 1H
Posts: 123
Joined: Wed Sep 30, 2020 9:34 pm

### Re: What is the Conjugate Seesaw

You can think about it like this: the stronger the acid, the weaker its conjugate base & the stronger the base, the weaker its conjugate acid. This is because the [H3O+][OH-] concentrations make up the equilibrium constant K, so you can think about it like if [H3O+] increases, [OH-] must decrease to keep the K at the same value (and vice versa).

Rahul Sobti 1E
Posts: 50
Joined: Wed Nov 18, 2020 12:26 am
Been upvoted: 1 time

### Re: What is the Conjugate Seesaw

This means that every acid has a conjugate base and every base has a conjugate acid. So, if you have a strong acid, its conjugate base is weak and if you have a strong base, its conjugate acid is weak.

Posts: 97
Joined: Wed Sep 30, 2020 9:53 pm
Been upvoted: 1 time

### Re: What is the Conjugate Seesaw

The Conjugate seesaw is essentially what it describes: a seesaw of conjugates. An acid and its conjugate base are opposite, or rather one weighs down the other in the seesaw. The same goes for vice versa. Hope that makes sense!

Karina Grover 1A
Posts: 96
Joined: Wed Sep 30, 2020 9:34 pm
Been upvoted: 1 time

### Re: What is the Conjugate Seesaw

The conjugate seesaw works like this: the stronger the acid, the weaker its conjugate base; the weaker the acid, the stronger its conjugate base; the stronger the base, the weaker its conjugate acid; the weaker the base, the stronger its conjugate acid. I hope this helps!

Grecia Velasco 1G
Posts: 122
Joined: Thu Jul 11, 2019 12:17 am

### Re: What is the Conjugate Seesaw

samanthaywu wrote:Can someone explain this idea of the conjugate seesaw? I don't really remember learning this before, but I'm curious what it is because it sounds interesting!

Here are the rules between Acids/Bases and Conjugate Acids/Bases or the conjugate seesaw:
If strong acid, then weak conjugate base
If weak acid, then strong conjugate base
If strong base, then weak conjugate base
If weak base, then strong conjugate acid

Crystal Pan 2G
Posts: 118
Joined: Wed Sep 30, 2020 10:04 pm
Been upvoted: 2 times

### Re: What is the Conjugate Seesaw

The conjugate seesaw essentially says
- the stronger the acid, the weaker the conjugate base.
- the stronger the base, the weaker the conjugate acid.
- the weaker the acid, the stronger the conjugate base
- the weaker the base, the stronger the conjugate acid.

Alejandro Gonzalez 2G
Posts: 82
Joined: Wed Sep 30, 2020 10:04 pm

### Re: What is the Conjugate Seesaw

I believe Dr. Lavelle described the conjugate seesaw as being along the lines of the stronger the acid, the weaker its conjugate base, and the stronger the base, the weaker its conjugate acid.