Weak Acids and Bases

[005493723]

I know for strong acids and bases most of them are on the list in the textbook that you can just memorize/ know what to look for to identify them, but I am kind of stuck on how to identify is a molecule is a weak acid or base or neutral. For achieve week 2 there's a problem that asks you how to categorize the molecules and I was wondering if anyone had any tips on how they knew which ones were which. Thanks!

[Jenny Han 3F]

Typically, if a salt is composed of a strong acid and base, like NaCl composed of NaOH and HCl (strong base and acid), the solution is neutral. Weak acids typically have H- attached and are not listed in the list of strong acids. The same is true for weak bases but with -OH.

[Maggie Clark]

Honestly, I just memorize all of the strong acids and bases and if I see an acid or base and it is not one that I have memorized, I assume that it is weak

[SarahOMalley1D]

A common way to spot a weak base is looking for a nitrogen with a lone pair of electrons (e.g. ammonia, NH3). As for weak acids, many of them have the -COOH group attached. Other than that, I usually try to cross-reference a molecule with the strong acids/bases. If it is not a strong acid/base, then it is weak.

[Michelle Argueta 1E]

To identify a weak base, it can have nitrogen with a lone pair of electrons; to identify a weak acid, it can have the -COOH group attached. Just memorize the strong acids/bases and if it is not a strong acid/base, then we assume it is a weak acid/base.

[Anne Hogue 2J]

Hi! It will be acidic if it has a strong acid and a weak base in the formula. For example, NH4CLO4 would be acidic because HCLO4 is a strong acid while NH4 is a weak base. On the other hand, basic is when there is a strong base and a weak acid. For example, NaCN would be basic because we know Na is in group 1 of the periodic table which normally means it is a strong base. CN is not a strong acid, so this would be basic. Neutral compounds are when there is a strong base and a strong acid. For example, KCL is neutral because K is in group 1 and HCL is a strong acid.