Why Acids and Bases?
Every aqueous solution is characterized by its acidity since water its self dissociates into an acid and a base. Usually, we consider dilute solutions in introductory courses, but extreme environments are also of interest. For example, we might consider high concentrations of chemicals in water, or molecules in non-aqueous solution. We might also consider what happens when the system is at high pressure and temperature as near a hot vent on the deep ocean floor, or in a hot spring. More important to us on a daily basis is the acid content of our blood. The measure of acid can be conveniently defined as pH and if the blood pH deviates from a fairly narrow range strange things happen. Muscular contraction is controlled by pH among other factors. In chemical reactions, acids and bases often play an important role.
