What Is the Kb of NaOH?
The base dissociation constant, or Kb, of sodium hydroxide, or NaOH, is approximately 1020. NaOH is classified as a strong base, which completely ionizes or dissociates in a solution into Na+ and OH– ions. At equilibrium, the concentration of each individual ion is the same as the concentration of the initial reactant.
Ionization constants are numerical values that measure the extent by which water, acidic or basic compounds dissociate in a solution at equilibrium. The symbols for the ionization constants of water, acids and bases are Kw, Ka and Kb, respectively. The relationship between the three constants are mathematically represented by the equation Kw = Ka * Kb.
Weak acids and weak bases do not completely ionize in a solution, hence their concentrations are difficult to determine. Typically, the Ka and Kb values of weak acids and bases range between 10-1 and 10-13.
Strong acids and strong bases behave differently compared to their weak counterparts. These types of compounds completely break down into ions, where the rates, as well as the concentrations, are the same for the forward and backward reactions. The Ka and Kb values of strong acids and bases are very large. Common strong acids include HCL, HBr and HI. Aside from NaOH, common strong bases include KOH, Ba (OH)2 and Ca(OH)2.
