The Relative Strengths of Strong Acids and Bases
The Relative Strengths of Strong Acids and Bases
Strong acids, such as HCl, HBr, and HI, all exhibit the same strength in water. The water molecule is such a strong base compared to the conjugate bases Cl−, Br−, and I− that ionization of these strong acids is essentially complete in aqueous solutions. In solvents less basic than water, we find HCl, HBr, and HI differ markedly in their tendency to give up a proton to the solvent.
For example, when dissolved in ethanol (a weaker base than water), the extent of ionization increases in the order HCl < HBr < HI, and so HI is demonstrated to be the strongest of these acids. The inability to discern differences in strength among strong acids dissolved in water is known as the leveling effect of water.
Water also exerts a leveling effect on the strengths of strong bases. For example, the oxide ion, O2−, and the amide ion, \({\text{NH}}_{2}{}^{\text{−}},\) are such strong bases that they react completely with water:
\({\text{O}}^{2-}\left(aq\right)+{\text{H}}_{2}\text{O}\left(l\right)\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}⟶\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}{\text{OH}}^{\text{−}}\left(aq\right)+{\text{OH}}^{\text{−}}\left(aq\right)\)
\({\text{NH}}_{2}{}^{\text{−}}\left(aq\right)+{\text{H}}_{2}\text{O}\left(l\right)\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}⟶\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}{\text{NH}}_{3}\left(aq\right)+{\text{OH}}^{\text{−}}\left(aq\right)\)
Thus, O2− and \({\text{NH}}_{2}{}^{\text{−}}\) appear to have the same base strength in water; they both give a 100% yield of hydroxide ion.
This lesson is part of:
Acid-Base Equilibria