Inorganic · Acids, Bases & HSAB
Acids, Bases & the HSAB Principle
Exam-focused revision notes on Acids, Bases & the HSAB Principle for CSIR-NET Chemical Sciences, GATE Chemistry and IIT-JAM — the core concepts, the formulas worth memorising, the traps that cost marks, and a quick-recall table.
The big picture
“Acid” and “base” have several definitions, each broader than the last. The exam tests which definition applies to a given reaction, how to pair conjugate acids and bases, and — most heavily — the HSAB principle for predicting which acid–base combinations are stable.
What this note covers
- 1The big picture
- 2Arrhenius concept
- 3Brønsted–Lowry concept
- 4Lewis concept
- 5Lux–Flood concept
- 6Solvent-system concept
- 7HSAB principle (Hard & Soft Acids and Bases)
- 8Superacids
- 9Common traps students miss
- 10Summary table — hard vs soft
Read the full note
The remaining 9 sections — including the worked examples, the common-traps list and the quick-recall table — are part of ChemVidya Full Access, along with 6,000+ practice questions.
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