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Chapter 14 Acid Base Equilibria

Chapter 14 Acid Base Equilibria

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Figure 14.1  Sinkholes such as this are the result of reactions between acidic groundwaters and basic rock formations, like limestone. (credit: modification of work by Emil Kehnel)

Liquid water is essential to life on our planet, and chemistry involving the characteristic ions of water, H+ and OH, is widely encountered in nature and society. As introduced in another chapter of this text, acid-base chemistry involves the transfer of hydrogen ions from donors (acids) to acceptors (bases). These H+ transfer reactions are reversible, and the equilibria established by acid-base systems are essential aspects of phenomena ranging from sinkhole formation (Figure 14.1) to oxygen transport in the human body. This chapter will further explore acid-base chemistry with an emphasis on the equilibrium aspects of this important reaction class.

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Chapter 14 Introduction Copyright © by Nicole Bouvier-Brown; Saori Shiraki; J. Ryan Hunt; and Emily Jarvis. All Rights Reserved.