Science Memes

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544

Is water an acid or a base? (lemmynsfw.com)

submitted 3 days ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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[–] [email protected] 40 points 3 days ago (5 children)

That's why the meme works. It's not because water autoionizes; it's because water is amphoteric, meaning it can act as either a Brønsted-Lowry acid or BL base depending on what what it's reacting with. Put water with ammonia, and water acts as an acid. Put water with acetic acid, and it acts as a base

Source: I teach college chemistry

[–] [email protected] 13 points 3 days ago (4 children)

Water is so cool. I like how the hydrophobic effects drives protein folding

[–] [email protected] 10 points 2 days ago (3 children)

I once brought up in a family dinner how incredible and strange water is, and how we don't really think about it.

It appears naturally in all three phases, expands when frozen, has a high surface tension, has a high specific heat, and can behave as a mild base or acid. Oh, and all the living stuff has water in it.

Nobody really understood what I meant except my sister.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Do you know about ortho/para-H~2~O? It only gets weirder.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago

Neat, I will be saving this and reading it when I'm less busy... maybe I'll get back to you on it.

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