Is Barium Hydroxide a Strong Base? | Weak or strong base?

YES. Barium hydroxide is a strong base such as NaOH, KOH.


Barium hydroxide is a group IIA metal hydroxide and it dissolves very well in water to give a strong base solution such as group IA metals hydroxides. Barium hydroxide dissociates completely in water to give barium ions and hydroxyl ions.

is barium hydroxide a strong acid - dissociation of Ba(OH)2

What is a strong base?

A strong base dissociate completely to its cation and anion in the water. This reaction is a not a reversible one.

If OH- concentration is increased more and more, basic strength of base increases.

Example: OH- concentration of aqueous ammonia solution is very less when it compare with OH- concentration of aqueous Ba(OH)2. Therefore aqueous ammonia solution is consider as a weak base and Ba(OH)2 as a strong base.




Solubility of Ba(OH)2

Solubility of Ba(OH)2 is greater than Be(OH)2, Mg(OH)2, Ca(OH)2 and Sr(OH)2. That is the reason why barium hydroxide become a strong base than other group 2 metal hydroxides.



Dissociation of barium hydroxide in water

Now we know, Ba(OH)2 dissociate completely in the water.


How to prove barium hydroxide is a strong base practically? - determine pH

Prepare a 0.005 mol dm-3 barium hydroxide solution. You can prepare this solution by measuring 0.86 g of Ba(OH)2 and dissolving it in 1 dm3 of distilled water. Then check the pH of prepared barium hydroxide solution. You can see the pH value is 12.

If pH value is 12, OH- concentration should be 0.01 mol dm-3. It is as twice the prepared Ba(OH)2 solution concentration. Therefore it is clear that, barium hydroxide is a strong base and dissociate completely in the water.



Basic characteristics of other alkali earth metal hydroxides

  • Be(OH)2 , Mg(OH)2 - Weak bases and white precipitates
  • Ca(OH)2 - Basic and dissolve in excess water. If ion concentration increases, deposited as a white precipitate.
  • Sr(OH)2 , Ba(OH)2 - Strong bases

Basc characteristics of alkali earth metals' hydroxides increases when going down the group.



BaO and Ba(OH)2

BaO readily dissolve in water to form Ba(OH)2 colourless solution.


What are the other strong bases?

All alkali metals' hydroxides are strong bases. From alkali earth metal hydroxides, Sr(OH)2 and Ba(OH)2 are strong bases



Questions asked by Students

Ask your Chemistry Question

Is Ba(OH)2 a strong base than Sr(OH)2?

Solubility of Ba(OH)2 is much higher than Sr(OH)2. So more OH- amount can be given by Ba(OH)2 to the aqueous solution. Therefore, Ba(OH)2 is a strong base than Sr(OH)2.


Is barium hydroxide acid or base?

See the dissociation of barium hydroxide in the water. You can see, hydroxyl ions (OH-) are given to water from it. Then OH- concentration increses more than H3O+ concentration. So it proves barium hydroxide is an acid.



dissociation equation for ba(oh)2 + naoh

Dissociation of Ba(OH)2 and NaOH is occurred separetely as below.


Ba(OH)2 → Ba2+ + 2OH-

NaOH → Na+ + OH-



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