Why are the Arrhenius definitions of acidity and alkalinity restricted to aqueous solutions?

Answer 1

I appreciate you asking such a great question about Arrhenius bases and acids.

Since electrolytes are almost always ions in solution, Arrhenius claimed that his definition of bases and acids came from his study of electrolytes. As a result, he defined bases as substances that produce hydroxide ions in solution and acids as substances that produce hydrogen ions in aqueous solutions.

Arrhenius was free to create his own definitions of the groups of chemicals that are now known as acids and bases based on the results of his experiments, as he was the first scientist that we are aware of who attempted to do so.

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Answer 2

The Arrhenius definitions of acidity and alkalinity are restricted to aqueous solutions because they are based on the presence or absence of hydrogen ions (H⁺) or hydroxide ions (OH⁻) in solution, which are characteristic of water-based systems. These definitions describe acids as substances that dissociate to produce H⁺ ions and bases as substances that dissociate to produce OH⁻ ions in water.

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Answer 3

The Arrhenius definitions of acidity and alkalinity are restricted to aqueous solutions due to their specific conceptualization of acids and bases. According to the Arrhenius theory, an acid is a substance that dissociates in water to produce hydrogen ions (( H^+ )), while a base is a substance that dissociates in water to produce hydroxide ions (( OH^- )).

These definitions rely on the presence of water molecules to facilitate the dissociation of acidic and basic substances. In aqueous solutions, water acts as a polar solvent, capable of separating ions from molecules and allowing them to interact with each other. This enables the formation of ( H^+ ) and ( OH^- ) ions, which are essential for defining acidity and alkalinity according to the Arrhenius theory.

In non-aqueous solvents, such as organic solvents like ethanol or acetone, the behavior of acids and bases may differ significantly from their behavior in water. Some substances may not dissociate into ( H^+ ) or ( OH^- ) ions in these solvents, making the Arrhenius definitions inapplicable.

Furthermore, the Arrhenius definitions do not account for substances that exhibit acidic or basic properties without necessarily producing ( H^+ ) or ( OH^- ) ions. For example, substances like ammonia (( NH_3 )) can act as bases by accepting protons (( H^+ )) rather than producing ( OH^- ) ions.

Overall, the Arrhenius definitions of acidity and alkalinity are specific to aqueous solutions because they are based on the behavior of acids and bases in water, where the presence of ( H^+ ) and ( OH^- ) ions plays a fundamental role in determining the acidic or basic nature of substances.

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Answer from HIX Tutor

When evaluating a one-sided limit, you need to be careful when a quantity is approaching zero since its sign is different depending on which way it is approaching zero from. Let us look at some examples.

When evaluating a one-sided limit, you need to be careful when a quantity is approaching zero since its sign is different depending on which way it is approaching zero from. Let us look at some examples.

When evaluating a one-sided limit, you need to be careful when a quantity is approaching zero since its sign is different depending on which way it is approaching zero from. Let us look at some examples.

When evaluating a one-sided limit, you need to be careful when a quantity is approaching zero since its sign is different depending on which way it is approaching zero from. Let us look at some examples.

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