No they are NOT synonymous although they are very similar. Their chemical reactions follow the same pattern.
Definition: A base is a substance which reacts with an acid to form a salt and water only.
Typically these are the oxides and hydroxides of metals PLUS ammonium hydroxide.
Definition: An alkali is a water-soluble base.
These tend to be the hydroxides of group I and (some) group II metals PLUS ammonium hydroxide.
In terms of logic…
All alkalis are bases but NOT all bases are alkalis.
Needless to say, it is splitting hairs at some point, since all materials are to some minute amount soluble in water. In practical terms, if you would use a base in aqueous solution, it is an alkali, but if you must use it as a solid because it is not soluble enough in water, then it is not an alkali.
For a Venn diagrams…
One circle (ALL ALKALIS) inside a larger circle (ALL BASES).
No they are NOT synonymous although they are very similar. Their chemical reactions follow the same pattern.
Definition: A base is a substance which reacts with an acid to form a salt and water only.
Typically these are the oxides and hydroxides of metals PLUS ammonium hydroxide.
Definition: An alkali is a water-soluble base.
These tend to be the hydroxides of group I and (some) group II metals PLUS ammonium hydroxide.
In terms of logic…
All alkalis are bases but NOT all bases are alkalis.
Needless to say, it is splitting hairs at some point, since all materials are to some minute amount soluble in water. In practical terms, if you would use a base in aqueous solution, it is an alkali, but if you must use it as a solid because it is not soluble enough in water, then it is not an alkali.
For a Venn diagrams…
One circle (ALL ALKALIS) inside a larger circle (ALL BASES).
The thing you need to keep in mind is that the term “alkali“ really only applies to alkali metals. Some of the older literature used the term alkali when they really meant base since alkali metal hydroxides are basic. This old terminology has crept into chemistry terminology such that non-chemists frequently use the term alkali when they mean a base. Chemist don’t use the term alkali very much but if they do it’s only applied to alkali metals. The term base is a more general term that includes alkali metal hydroxides but also any other basic compound. Think of it this way, sodium hydroxide is a base but sodium chloride is not a base yet both contain an alkali metal. What makes sodium hydroxide a base is the hydroxide not the alkali metal so it doesn’t make sense to use the term alkali to describe a compound as a base.
But, in answer to your question, are all base solutions basic (i.e. alkali)? The answer is, no. If you have a base which has been neutralized with an acid (such as hydrochloric acid), then the solution will not be basic (or alkali If you insist on using that antiquated terminology). In fact, if the base is a weak base, and the acid is a strong acid, the salt will be a weak acid.
The thing you need to keep in mind is that the term “alkali“ really only applies to alkali metals. Some of the older literature used the term alkali when they really meant base since alkali metal hydroxides are basic. This old terminology has crept into chemistry terminology such that non-chemists frequently use the term alkali when they mean a base. Chemist don’t use the term alkali very much but if they do it’s only applied to alkali metals. The term base is a more general term that includes alkali metal hydroxides but also any other basic compound. Think of it this way, sodium hydroxide is a base but sodium chloride is not a base yet both contain an alkali metal. What makes sodium hydroxide a base is the hydroxide not the alkali metal so it doesn’t make sense to use the term alkali to describe a compound as a base.
But, in answer to your question, are all base solutions basic (i.e. alkali)? The answer is, no. If you have a base which has been neutralized with an acid (such as hydrochloric acid), then the solution will not be basic (or alkali If you insist on using that antiquated terminology). In fact, if the base is a weak base, and the acid is a strong acid, the salt will be a weak acid.
No they are NOT synonymous although they are very similar. Their chemical reactions follow the same pattern.
Definition: A base is a substance which reacts with an acid to form a salt and water only.
Typically these are the oxides and hydroxides of metals PLUS ammonium hydroxide.
Definition: An alkali is a water-soluble base.
These tend to be the hydroxides of group I and (some) group II metals PLUS ammonium hydroxide.
In terms of logic…
All alkalis are bases but NOT all bases are alkalis.
Needless to say, it is splitting hairs at some point, since all materials are to some minute amount soluble in water. In practical terms, if you would use a base in aqueous solution, it is an alkali, but if you must use it as a solid because it is not soluble enough in water, then it is not an alkali.
For a Venn diagrams…
One circle (ALL ALKALIS) inside a larger circle (ALL BASES).
No they are NOT synonymous although they are very similar. Their chemical reactions follow the same pattern.
Definition: A base is a substance which reacts with an acid to form a salt and water only.
Typically these are the oxides and hydroxides of metals PLUS ammonium hydroxide.
Definition: An alkali is a water-soluble base.
These tend to be the hydroxides of group I and (some) group II metals PLUS ammonium hydroxide.
In terms of logic…
All alkalis are bases but NOT all bases are alkalis.
Needless to say, it is splitting hairs at some point, since all materials are to some minute amount soluble in water. In practical terms, if you would use a base in aqueous solution, it is an alkali, but if you must use it as a solid because it is not soluble enough in water, then it is not an alkali.
For a Venn diagrams…
One circle (ALL ALKALIS) inside a larger circle (ALL BASES).
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The thing you need to keep in mind is that the term “alkali“ really only applies to alkali metals. Some of the older literature used the term alkali when they really meant base since alkali metal hydroxides are basic. This old terminology has crept into chemistry terminology such that non-chemists frequently use the term alkali when they mean a base. Chemist don’t use the term alkali very much but if they do it’s only applied to alkali metals. The term base is a more general term that includes alkali metal hydroxides but also any other basic compound. Think of it this way, sodium hydroxide is a base but sodium chloride is not a base yet both contain an alkali metal. What makes sodium hydroxide a base is the hydroxide not the alkali metal so it doesn’t make sense to use the term alkali to describe a compound as a base.
But, in answer to your question, are all base solutions basic (i.e. alkali)? The answer is, no. If you have a base which has been neutralized with an acid (such as hydrochloric acid), then the solution will not be basic (or alkali If you insist on using that antiquated terminology). In fact, if the base is a weak base, and the acid is a strong acid, the salt will be a weak acid.
The thing you need to keep in mind is that the term “alkali“ really only applies to alkali metals. Some of the older literature used the term alkali when they really meant base since alkali metal hydroxides are basic. This old terminology has crept into chemistry terminology such that non-chemists frequently use the term alkali when they mean a base. Chemist don’t use the term alkali very much but if they do it’s only applied to alkali metals. The term base is a more general term that includes alkali metal hydroxides but also any other basic compound. Think of it this way, sodium hydroxide is a base but sodium chloride is not a base yet both contain an alkali metal. What makes sodium hydroxide a base is the hydroxide not the alkali metal so it doesn’t make sense to use the term alkali to describe a compound as a base.
But, in answer to your question, are all base solutions basic (i.e. alkali)? The answer is, no. If you have a base which has been neutralized with an acid (such as hydrochloric acid), then the solution will not be basic (or alkali If you insist on using that antiquated terminology). In fact, if the base is a weak base, and the acid is a strong acid, the salt will be a weak acid.
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