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base

Also known as alkaline substance, alkali, basic substance, basic compound, chemical base, basic chemical

chemical substance that can react with an acid, accepting hydrogen ions (protons) or more generally, donating a pair of valence electrons

AI overview

A base is a chemical substance that reacts with acids by accepting hydrogen ions or sharing electrons, forming new compounds in the process. Bases matter because they're fundamental to chemistry and everyday life—they're found in everything from cleaning products to biological systems, and understanding how they interact with acids is essential for predicting and controlling chemical reactions.

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Image: Potassium hydroxide.jpg

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Commons category: Bases

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Soaps are weak bases formed by the reaction of fatty acids with sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide.

In chemistry, there are three definitions in common use of the word "base": Arrhenius bases, Brønsted bases, and Lewis bases. All definitions agree that bases are substances that react with acids, as originally proposed by G.-F. Rouelle in the mid-18th century.