What You’ll Learn

An acid ionization constant (Ka) measures the strength of an acid by quantifying the extent to which it dissociates into hydrogen ions (H+) and its conjugate base in aqueous solution. A higher Ka value indicates a stronger acid. A base ionization constant (Kb) measures the strength of a base by quantifying the extent to which it accepts protons from water to form its conjugate acid and hydroxide ions (OH-). A higher Kb value indicates a stronger base.