Acid-base chemistry (source code)

= Acid-base chemistry

<Acid-base chemistry> studies how <chemical acids> and <chemical bases> exchange <protons> or <electron pairs>. Here the focus is transfer of <protons> in <water>: a <chemical acid> donates a <proton>, and a <chemical base> accepts it. The resulting <chemical equilibrium> determines <pH>, while a <buffer solution> can resist changes in <pH>. This connects microscopic <chemical reactions> with a compact, measurable description of a <chemical solution>.

The important distinction is between how much <chemical acid> is present and how readily it transfers a <proton>. A <weak acid> and a <strong acid> at the same total <concentration> need not have the same <pH>. Conversely, two <buffer solutions> can have the same <pH> while containing very different total quantities of their <chemical acids> and <chemical bases>.