Weak and Strong Acids/Bases

[Victoria Luu - 1C]

How do you determine if an acid or base is strong or weak? Is it based off the lewis structure? or the reaction equation?

[jessicahe4Elavelle]

For the acids, there are in total 7 strong acids that you should just memorize: HCl, HBr, HI, HNO3, HClO3, HClO4, H2SO4. (so the rest would be weak acids). The strong bases, instead you can recognize them as they are always a metal hydroxide (e.g. LiOH, NaOH, KOH...).

[Soyoung Park 1H]

Do we have to memorize all the 7 strong acids for the coming up final?

[Jordan Y4D]

Do we have to memorize all the 7 strong acids for the coming up final?

It wouldn't be a bad idea, especially since it is not too difficult to know them by their names. I would guess that we will be given the molecular formulas of any substance we are given on the final, but I could be wrong.

[sameeksha_panda_3h]

For the acids, there are in total 7 strong acids that you should just memorize: HCl, HBr, HI, HNO3, HClO3, HClO4, H2SO4. (so the rest would be weak acids). The strong bases, instead you can recognize them as they are always a metal hydroxide (e.g. LiOH, NaOH, KOH...).

For the metal hydroxides (strong bases) is it just row one and two metals or does it include transition metals, etc. as well?

[ryanhon2H]

For the acids, there are in total 7 strong acids that you should just memorize: HCl, HBr, HI, HNO3, HClO3, HClO4, H2SO4. (so the rest would be weak acids). The strong bases, instead you can recognize them as they are always a metal hydroxide (e.g. LiOH, NaOH, KOH...).

For the metal hydroxides (strong bases) is it just row one and two metals or does it include transition metals, etc. as well?

Transition metals make weak bases usually. I would say that just row one and two metals form strong bases.

[Chem_Mod]

Correction to the above posts: Column 1 and 2, not rows 1/2, make strong bases.

[ThomascnguyenDis1J]

What makes the weak acids/bases weak and the strong acids/bases strong?