Introduction to Acids and Bases
In the Brønsted-Lowry model, an acid donates a proton (H⁺) and a base accepts one. After the transfer, the acid becomes its conjugate base and the base its conjugate acid — a conjugate pair differs by exactly one proton. Water autoionizes slightly, so even pure water has equal H⁺ and OH⁻, with Kw = [H⁺][OH⁻] = 1.0 × 10⁻¹⁴ at 25 °C.
The core skill is following the proton to name the acid, base, and their conjugates, and remembering that a substance's role can switch with its partner (water is amphoteric). Autoionization sets the neutral baseline that the pH scale is built on.
The work
3 ways in · any order
Lesson
Intro to Acids and Bases
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Brønsted-Lowry acids donate protons and bases accept them, forming conjugate pairs, while water autoionizes. The lesson tracks the proton and conjugate pairs, then closes with a ten-scenario check.
Diagnostic
10-item topic check
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Ten items on the Brønsted-Lowry model: identifying the proton donor and acceptor, naming conjugate acid-base pairs, and the autoionization of water.
Targeted Practice
Drill a single misconception
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Pick one of the failure modes you missed and drill it on its own. The round is adaptive: two correct in a row clears the misconception and moves you to the next.