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Base

This drawing represents a comet bringing atmospheric molecules and possibly primitive life forms to the Earth's surface. Click on image for full size (68K jpeg)
Image courtesy of JPL/NASA

Like an acid, a base is a substance capable of dissolving things.

There are many bases. Here are a few: Ammonia (used as a cleaner), Calcium hydroxide (used in mortar for construction), Magnesium hydroxide (otherwise known as milk of magnesia; used as a laxative or antacid), Sodium hydroxide (used as an oven cleaner).

Chemisty Image Archive

Base

This drawing represents a comet bringing atmospheric molecules and possibly primitive life forms to the Earth's surface. Click on image for full size (68K jpeg)
Image courtesy of JPL/NASA

Like an acid, a base is a substance capable of dissolving things. Here is a scientific explanation of what a base is:

A base is a substance which accepts a proton from another species in a reaction. (Here, "accept" is a passive term for what really happens. A base attacks and "rips" a proton from a substance which has any capability of giving it away. Thus a base accepts a proton the way a thief "accepts" your purse). Bases are classified as either strong or weak depending upon their relative ability to do this. When it does this, it changes the substance it attacks into a different substance.

Chemisty Image Archive

Base

This drawing represents a comet bringing atmospheric molecules and possibly primitive life forms to the Earth's surface. Click on image for full size (68K jpeg)
Image courtesy of JPL/NASA

Like an acid, a base is a substance capable of dissolving things. Unlike an acid in which the active agent is a substance which has a positive electric charge (H⁺), in a base the active agent has a negative charge (OH^-). Here are a couple of scientific explanations of what a base is:

A base is any substance that upon dissolving in water increases the hydroxide ion content (OH^-). An base can also be thought of as a substance which accepts a proton from another species in a reaction. (Here, "accept" is a passive term for what really happens. A base attacks and "rips" a proton from a substance which has any capability of giving it away. Thus a base accepts a proton the way a thief "accepts" your purse). Bases are classified as either strong or weak depending upon their relative ability to do this.

Chemisty Image Archive

Last modified January 17, 1999 by the Windows Team

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NOTE: If you can read this, then you have not entered our site from the proper entry point! In order for all links to function properly, you must start by clicking here.

Base

This drawing represents a comet bringing atmospheric molecules and possibly primitive life forms to the Earth's surface. Click on image for full size (68K jpeg) Image courtesy of JPL/NASA

Base

This drawing represents a comet bringing atmospheric molecules and possibly primitive life forms to the Earth's surface. Click on image for full size (68K jpeg) Image courtesy of JPL/NASA

Base

This drawing represents a comet bringing atmospheric molecules and possibly primitive life forms to the Earth's surface. Click on image for full size (68K jpeg) Image courtesy of JPL/NASA

This drawing represents a comet bringing atmospheric molecules and possibly primitive life forms to the Earth's surface. Click on image for full size (68K jpeg)
Image courtesy of JPL/NASA

This drawing represents a comet bringing atmospheric molecules and possibly primitive life forms to the Earth's surface. Click on image for full size (68K jpeg)
Image courtesy of JPL/NASA

This drawing represents a comet bringing atmospheric molecules and possibly primitive life forms to the Earth's surface. Click on image for full size (68K jpeg)
Image courtesy of JPL/NASA