Two common strong bases are sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and potassium hydroxide (KOH).
Understanding Strong Bases
A strong base is a substance that completely dissociates in water, releasing hydroxide ions (OH⁻) and its conjugate acid. This complete dissociation leads to a high concentration of hydroxide ions, resulting in a highly alkaline solution. The higher the concentration of hydroxide ions, the stronger the base.
Several references confirm NaOH and KOH as strong bases. For example, the Chemistry LibreTexts (https://chem.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/General_Chemistry/Map%3A_GeneralChemistry(Petrucci_et_al.)/16%3A_Acids_and_Bases/16.4%3A_Strong_Acids_and_Strong_Bases) and Introductory Chemistry (https://uen.pressbooks.pub/introductorychemistry/chapter/strength-of-bases/) explicitly list both NaOH and KOH as examples of strong Arrhenius bases. Other sources further support this classification.
- Sodium hydroxide (NaOH): Commonly known as lye or caustic soda, it's used in many industrial and household applications.
- Potassium hydroxide (KOH): Also known as caustic potash, it shares similar properties and applications with NaOH.
While other strong bases exist (e.g., barium hydroxide, Ba(OH)₂), NaOH and KOH are frequently cited as examples due to their common use and readily available nature. It's important to note that handling strong bases requires caution due to their corrosive nature.
