A very weak base produces a weak conjugate acid

Question

A very weak base produces a weak conjugate acid

a)True

b)False

Answer 1

The answer would be False. If the base is weak, then its conjugate acid would be strong. Take for example the weak base B. In water you have B + H₂O ==> BH⁺ + OH^-. Since B is a weak base, its tendency to accept a proton is weak, meaning that the tendency for BH⁺ to donate that proton is strong. Hope that makes sense.

Answer 2

b) Very weak bases are the products of STRONG acids.A strong acid produces a stable base, and there is no tendency for the base to re-associate with the proton. HI is a very strong acid and there is no equilibrium involved in the dissociation; the arrow only points one way. HI ₊ H₂O---> H₃O⁺ + I^- ; no equilibrium!