Analytical Chemistry 111
Prelims Reviewer
THE BASIC APPROACH TO CHEMICAL
EQUILIBRIUM
Chemical Equilibrium
• Electrolytes. It forms ions when dissolved
in water.
• Strong Electrolytes. Ionize completely
• Weak Electrolytes. Ionize partially.
• A salt is produced in the reaction of an
acid with a base. Examples include NaCl,
Na2SO4, and NaOOCCH3 (sodium
acetate).
Bronsted-lowry Theory
• An acid is the proton donor and the base is
the proton acceptor.
• A conjugate base is formed when an acid
loses a proton.
• A conjugate acid is formed when a base
accepts a proton.
• Water can act as amphiprotic solvent in
which it can act both as an acid and a
base depending on the solute. Examples:
methanol, ethanol and anhydrous acetic
acid.
• Zwitterion is an ion the bears both
positive and negative charge.
• Autoprotolysis (self ionization)
involves the spontaneous reaction of
molecules of a substance to give a pair
of ions.
 Analytical Chemistry 111
Prelims Reviewer

• Differentiating solvents. Acetic acid acts

as differentiating solvent toward two acids
by revealing inherent differences in their
acidities.
• Levelling Solvents. Water, on the other
hand is a levelling solvent for perchloric,
hydrochloric and nitric acids because all
three are completely ionized by it.
• A state in which the ratio of concentrations
of reactants and products is constant.
• The Le Chatelier Principle states that the
position of equilibrium always shifts in
such a direction as to releave the stress
that is applied to the system.
• An equilibrium, shift brought about by
changing the amount of one of the
participating species is called mass action
effect.
 Analytical Chemistry 111
Prelims Reviewer

• Aqueous solutions contain small

concentrations of hydronium and
hydroxide ions as a result of the
dissociation reaction

− log 𝐾𝑤 = − log[𝐻3 𝑂+ ] − log[𝑂𝐻− ]

𝑝𝐾𝑤 = 𝑝𝐻 + 𝑝𝑂𝐻

𝑝𝐾𝑤 = 14

Example

Calculate the hydronium and hydroxide

ion concentrations of pure water at 25°C and
100°C.

1. Create a chemical expression.

2. Determine the Equilibrium Concentration
3. Create and Equilibrium Expression
4. Calculate