What makes a substance alkaline?

A substance is alkaline if it has a pH greater than 7 and can accept protons or donate pairs of electrons.

In more detail, the pH scale is used to determine how acidic or alkaline a substance is. This scale ranges from 0 to 14, with 7 being neutral. Substances with a pH less than 7 are considered acidic, while those with a pH greater than 7 are considered alkaline or basic. The higher the pH, the more alkaline the substance is.

Alkaline substances are also characterised by their ability to accept protons (H+ ions) or donate pairs of electrons. This is in contrast to acidic substances, which donate protons or accept pairs of electrons. This proton-accepting or electron-donating behaviour is what gives alkaline substances their basic properties.

Alkaline substances can be found in many everyday items, such as baking soda, bleach, and certain types of soap. They often have a bitter taste and a slippery feel. When mixed with water, they form a solution that can conduct electricity, which is a characteristic of all electrolytes.

In chemical reactions, alkaline substances often react with acids to form salts and water, a type of reaction known as a neutralisation reaction. This is because the H+ ions from the acid and the OH- ions from the base combine to form water (H2O), and the remaining ions form a salt.

Understanding the properties of alkaline substances and how they behave in chemical reactions is a fundamental part of chemistry. It helps us understand the world around us, from the foods we eat to the cleaning products we use, and even the processes occurring within our own bodies.