Asked by ny

Comparing Strong and Weak Acids and Bases
Which will become completely dissociated when dissolved in water?

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Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
Strong acids and strong bases.

- Strong acids (e.g., HCl, HBr, HI, HNO3, HClO4, and the first proton of H2SO4) essentially fully dissociate in water:
HCl → H+ + Cl−
- Strong bases (e.g., alkali metal hydroxides like NaOH, KOH; Ba(OH)2 is also a strong base in solution) likewise nearly completely dissociate:
NaOH → Na+ + OH−

Weak acids (acetic acid, HF, H2CO3, etc.) and weak bases (NH3, many amines) only partially dissociate; an equilibrium exists between the undissociated and dissociated forms (characterized by Ka or Kb).

Note: “Completely” is a practical simplification — dissociation is so near 100% for strong species under normal conditions that they are treated as fully dissociated.