Acid-Base Theories Study Guide: 68 Flashcards from Arrhenius to Lewis and HSAB
Study acid-base chemistry with 68 real flashcards: Arrhenius, Brønsted-Lowry, Lewis, Lux-Flood, HSAB, conjugate pairs, buffers, plus the pH cards to add.
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The deck Acids, Bases & pH (code EN4425, 68 cards) promises pH, but read the cards before you start: not a single one mentions the pH scale, Kw, pKa or a titration curve. What you actually get is a solid history of acid-base theories, from Lavoisier to the HSAB principle, plus a block of everyday chemistry (baking powder, neutralization). Study it as a theory deck, then bolt on the missing pH cards yourself.
Study this deck: Acids, Bases & pH
1 / 10Acid-base reaction
Tap the card for the answer · swipe right if you knew it, left if not
Cards worth knowing cold
| Front | Back |
|---|---|
| Arrhenius acid | Ionizes in water to form H+, raising [H+] in aqueous solution |
| Main limitation of the Arrhenius definition | Only applies to aqueous solutions |
| Brønsted-Lowry base | Accepts protons (H+) from acids |
| Conjugate acid of H2O | H3O+ (hydronium ion) |
| Typical example of a Lewis acid | BF3, which has a vacancy in its octet |
| Lux-Flood definition of an acid | An oxide ion (O2−) acceptor |
| Most stable interactions in HSAB theory | Hard-hard and soft-soft |
| Hydrogen sulfide | H2S, which Davy used to disprove Lavoisier's oxygen theory |
| Reaction between HCl and NaOH | HCl + NaOH → NaCl + H2O |
What the 68 cards cover
Rouelle's base, Lavoisier's oxygen theory, Liebig's hydrogen theory, Arrhenius acids and bases, hydronium, Brønsted-Lowry acids and bases, conjugate pairs (Cl−, acetate, ammonium), amphoteric water, Lewis acids and bases, adducts and dative bonds (F3B←CO), coordination compounds, the solvent-system definition, solvonium/solvate and lyonium/lyate ions, Lux-Flood (molten salts, geochemistry), Usanovich, Pearson's HSAB (1963), Drago's ECW model, buffers, acid-alkali reactions, spectator ions, protonation and deprotonation, autoionization of water, acetic acid in liquid ammonia, pyridine, oxoacids (HNO3, H2SO4), hydrohalic acids, baking soda, monocalcium phosphate and cream of tartar.
Tip 1: study the theories as nested circles
The deck jumps between definitions, so redraw them as a ladder where each theory contains the previous one: Arrhenius (water only, H+/OH−) ⊂ Brønsted-Lowry (any proton transfer) ⊂ Lewis (electron pairs, no proton needed). Solvent-system, Lux-Flood and Usanovich are side branches. Then tag every card by rung: when you meet BF3 + NH3, you should instantly say Lewis, not Brønsted because no proton moves. Two small fixes while you do it: card 26 reads solve-bases, the term is solvo-bases; and card 37 is clearer as a weak acid plus its conjugate base (or a weak base plus its conjugate acid), since that pair is what actually resists pH change.
Tip 2: write the pH cards the title promised
Add five cards before card 1 and review them daily until automatic:
- pH = −log[H3O+]; pOH = −log[OH−]
- Kw = [H3O+][OH−] = 1.0 × 10⁻¹⁴ at 25 °C, so pH + pOH = 14
- Ka and pKa: lower pKa = stronger acid
- Strong acids (HCl, HBr, HI, HNO3, H2SO4) ionize fully; HF is weak despite being a hydrohalic acid
- Henderson-Hasselbalch: pH = pKa + log([A−]/[HA])
Card 49 (water's autoionization) is your bridge: it is where Kw comes from.
Keep going
Lewis adducts and dative bonds make far more sense once bonding is solid, so pair this deck with our Chemical Bonding flashcard guide, then move on to redox and the Nernst equation in Thermodynamics & Electrochemistry.
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