Weak Acid

Weak Acid Definition

Imagine trying to get ketchup out of a bottle, where only a little comes out with each shake. This situation is similar to a weak acid, which only partially dissociates into ions in a solution. Just as the ketchup bottle releases only a small amount of ketchup with each effort, a weak acid only releases a small number of its hydrogen ions into the solution, leaving most of them still bound together, much like the ketchup clinging to the bottle.

Practice Version

Weak Acid Definition

Weak Acid: Any acid that only partly dissociates splits into ions in a solution. Weak acid. A weak acid is an acid that does not completely break apart into ions in water, resulting in a less acidic solution.