Chemistry / Unit 10 Chem 1838 short lesson, about 20 seconds
Weak Base Equilibrium and Kb
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The idea
A weak base reacts only partially with water, and Kb measures how far that equilibrium favors the protonated base and hydroxide over the intact base.
In practice
Ammonia's Kb expression is [NH4+][OH−]/[NH3], describing NH3 + H2O ⇌ NH4+ + OH−.
Where people slip
Kb describes a base reacting with water, a different equilibrium from the Ka of its own conjugate acid, related but not identical.
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