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Document Summary
Topics: weak interactions in aqueous systems, ionization of water, weak acids, and weak bases, buffering against ph changes in biological systems, water as a reactant, fitness of the aqueous environment for living organisms. Water molecules have a very slight tendency to ionize to a hydrogen ion and a hydroxide ion. Actually, free protons (h+) do not exist in solution, and instead, hydrogen ions formed in water are immediately hydrated to form hydronium ions (h3o+). 2-14), the short hops of protons between a series of hydrogen-bonded water molecules results in a very rapid net movement of a proton over a long distance. Thus the movement of hydronium (and hydroxide) ions in an electric field is extremely fast compared to the movement of ions such as na+ and cl-. The equilibrium constant for the reversible ionization of water is. Since the value of keq, determined by electrical conductivity measurements is 1. 8 x 10-16 m, the equation becomes.
