In chemistry, an alkali (from Arabic: Al-Qaly القلي, القالي ) is a basic, ionic salt of an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal element. Chemistry (from Egyptian kēme (chem meaning "earth") is the Science concerned with the composition structure and properties Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language In Chemistry, a base is most commonly thought of as an aqueous substance that can accept Protons This refers to the Brønsted-Lowry theory of acids and In Chemistry, an ionic compound is a Chemical compound in which Ions are held together in a lattice structure by Ionic bonds Usually the positively Salt is a Dietary mineral composed primarily of Sodium chloride that is essential for Animal life but toxic to most land plants Trends The alkali metals show a number of trends when moving down the group - for instance decreasing electronegativity increasing reactivity and decreasing melting and boiling Biological occurrences Beryllium's low aqueous solubility means it is rarely available to biological systems it has no known role in living organisms and when encountered A chemical element is a type of Atom that is distinguished by its Atomic number; that is by the number of Protons in its nucleus. Alkalis are best known for being bases (compounds with pH greater than 7) that dissolve in water. In Chemistry, a base is most commonly thought of as an aqueous substance that can accept Protons This refers to the Brønsted-Lowry theory of acids and pH is the measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a Solution. Water is a common Chemical substance that is essential for the survival of all known forms of Life. The adjective alkaline is commonly used in English as a synonym for base, especially for soluble bases. In Grammar, an adjective is a word whose main syntactic role is to modify a Noun or Pronoun, giving more information about the English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States This article deals with the general meaning of the term "synonym" Solubility is the characteristic Physical property referring to the ability of a given substance the Solute, to dissolve in a Solvent. This broad use of the term is likely to have come about because alkalis were the first bases known to obey the Arrhenius definition of a base and are still among the more common bases. Since Brønsted-Lowry acid-base theory, the term alkali in chemistry is normally restricted to those salts containing alkali and alkaline earth metal elements.

Common properties

Alkalines are all Arrhenius bases and share many properties with other chemicals in this group (Arrhenius bases form hydroxide ions when dissolved in water). Common properties of alkaline aqueous solutions include:

• Moderately-concentrated solutions (over 10^-3 M) have a pH of 10 or greater. In Chemistry, a solution is a Homogeneous Mixture composed of two or more substances This means that they will turn phenolphthalein from colorless to pink. Phenolphthalein is a Chemical compound with the formula C 20 H 14 O 4 (often written as " HIn
• Concentrated solutions are caustic (causing chemical burns).
• Alkaline solutions are slippery or soapy to the touch, due to the saponification of the fatty acids on the surface of the skin. Saponification is the Hydrolysis of an Ester under basic conditions to form an Alcohol and the Salt of a Carboxylic acid
• Alkalis are normally water soluble, although some like barium carbonate are only soluble when reacting with an acidic aqueous solution. Solubility is the characteristic Physical property referring to the ability of a given substance the Solute, to dissolve in a Solvent. Barium carbonate ( Ba[[Carbonate CO]]3 also known as witherite, is a Chemical compound used in Rat poison, Bricks

Alkalis are very reactive because they are very close to having a full valence electron shell and so will react with many nonmetals to gain those electrons

Alkalis are opposite of acids.

Confusion between base and alkali

The terms "base" and "alkali" are often used interchangeably, since most common bases are alkalis. It is common to speak of "measuring the alkalinity of soil" when what is actually meant is the measurement of the pH (base property). Alkalinity or AT is a measure of the ability of a solution to neutralize acids to the Equivalence point of carbonate or bicarbonate pH is the measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a Solution. In a similar manner, bases that are not alkalis, such as ammonia, are sometimes erroneously referred to as alkaline. Ammonia is a compound with the formula N[[hydrogen H3]] It is normally encountered as a Gas with a characteristic pungent Odor

Note that not all or even most salts formed by alkali metals are alkaline; this designation applies only to those salts that are basic. Trends The alkali metals show a number of trends when moving down the group - for instance decreasing electronegativity increasing reactivity and decreasing melting and boiling

While most electropositive metal oxides are basic, only the soluble alkali metal and alkaline earth metal oxides can be correctly called alkalis. Electropositivity is a measure of an element's ability to donate Electrons, and therefore form positive Ions. An oxide is a Chemical compound containing at least one Oxygen atom as well as at least one other element

This definition of an alkali as a basic salt of an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal does appear to be the most common, based on dictionary definitions [1][2], however conflicting definitions of the term alkali do exist. These include:

• Any base that is water-soluble and [3][4]. This is more accurately called an Arrhenius base.
• The solution of a base in water [5].

Salts

Most basic salts are alkali salts, of which common examples are:

• sodium hydroxide (often called "caustic soda")
• potassium hydroxide (commonly called "caustic potash")
• lye (generic term, for either of the previous two, or even for a mixture)
• calcium carbonate (sometimes called "free lime")
• magnesium hydroxide is an example of an atypical alkali: it is a weak base (cannot be detected by phenolphthalein) and it has low solubility in water

Alkaline soil

Soil with a pH value higher than 7. Alkali salts or base (basic salts are salts which has basic ions such as Hydroxides or Carbonates. Sodium hydroxide ( Na[[hydroxide OH]]) also known as Lye, caustic soda and (incorrectly according to IUPAC nomenclature Potassium hydroxide is the Inorganic compound with the formula K[[hydroxide OH]] Calcium carbonate is a Chemical compound with the Chemical formula Ca[[Carbon C]] O 3 Magnesium hydroxide is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula Mg(OH2 3 is normally referred to as alkaline. This soil property can occur naturally, due to the presence of alkali salts. Although some plants do prefer slightly basic soil (including vegetables like cabbage and fodder like buffalograss), most plants prefer a mildly acidic soil (pH between 6. The cabbage ( Brassica oleracea var capitata) is a leafy garden plant of the Family Brassicaceae (or Cruciferae used as a Buffalograss, or buffalo grass, ( Buchloe dactyloides) is a native North American prairie grass 0 and 6. 8), and alkaline soils can cause problems. Alkali or alkaline soils are Clay Soils with a relatively high exchangeable sodium percentage a relative high PH (> 9 a poor soil structure and a low

Lakes

In alkali lakes (a type of salt lake), evaporation concentrates the naturally-occurring alkali salts, often forming a crust of mildly-basic salt across a large area. The salt lake or saline lake is a landlocked body of Water which has a concentration of Salts (mostly Sodium chloride) and other minerals significantly

Examples of alkali lakes:

• Redberry Lake, Saskatchewan, Canada. Saskatchewan (səˈskætʃəwən) is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of 588276 Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page
• Tramping Lake, Saskatchewan, Canada.
• Mono lake, California, United States
• Summer Lake, Summer Lake, Oregon

Etymology

The word "alkali" is derived from Arabic al qalīy = the calcined ashes, referring to the original source of alkaline substance. Mono Lake is an Alkaline and hypersaline lake in California, United States that is a critical nesting habitat for several bird species and is California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Ashes were used in conjunction with animal fat to produce soap, a process known as saponification. SOAP (see below for name and origins is a protocol for exchanging XML -based messages over Computer networks normally using Saponification is the Hydrolysis of an Ester under basic conditions to form an Alcohol and the Salt of a Carboxylic acid