Information AboutAlkali |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT ALKALI | |
| inorganic chemistry | |
| arabic words and phrases | |
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In , formed as a Carbonate , Hydroxide or other basic ( PH greater than 7) Ionic Salt of an Alkali Metal or Alkali Earth Metal Element . The word alkali or the adjective alkaline are frequently used to refer to all bases, since most common bases are alkalis, although strictly speaking this is inaccurate. COMMON PROPERTIES OF ALKALIS Alkalis are all Arrhenius bases and share many properties with other chemicals in this group (Arrhenius bases form hydroxide ions when dissolved in water). Common properties of alkaline solutions include:
CONFUSION BETWEEN BASE AND ALKALI The terms "base" and "alkali" are often used interchangeably, since most common bases are alkalis. It is common to speak of "measuring the Alkalinity of soil" when what is actually meant is the measurement of the PH (base property). Similarly, bases which are not alkalis, such as Ammonia , are sometimes erroneously referred to as alkaline. Note that not all or even most salts formed by Alkali Metals are alkaline; this designation applies only to those salts which are basic. While most Electropositive metal Oxides are basic, only the soluble alkali metal and alkali earth metal oxides can be correctly called alkalis. This definition of an alkali as the salt of an alkali metal or alkali earth metal does appear to be the most common, based on dictionary definitions {Link without Title} {Link without Title} , however conflicting definitions of the term alkali do exist. These include:
ALKALI SALTS Most Basic Salts are alkali salts, of which common examples are:
ALKALINE SOIL Soil with a pH above 7.4 is normally referred to as alkaline. This soil property can occur naturally, due to the presence of alkali salts. Although some plants do prefer slightly basic soil (including cabbage family vegetables and buffalograss), most plants prefer a mildly acidic soil (pH between 6.0 and 6.8), and high pH levels can cause a problem. In alkali lakes (a type of Salt Lake ), evaporation concentrates the naturally occurring alkali salts, often forming a crust of mildly basic salt across a large area. Examples of alkali lakes:
ETYMOLOGY The word "alkali" is derived from Arabic ''al qalīy'' = "the calcined ashes", referring to the original source of alkaline substance. Ashes were used in conjunction with animal fat to produce Soap , a process known as Saponification . |
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