Alkali vs. Base: Know the Difference
By Shumaila Saeed || Updated on December 25, 2023
An alkali is a specific type of base that dissolves in water to form hydroxide ions, while a base is a broader chemical category that neutralizes acids.
Key Differences
An alkali is a water-soluble base that produces hydroxide ions (OH −) in solution, such as sodium hydroxide. A base, more broadly, is any substance that can accept hydrogen ions or donate a pair of valence electrons to form a bond.
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Alkalis are a subset of bases, specifically those that are soluble in water. Bases include a wider range of substances, not all of which are soluble in water.
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All alkalis are bases, but not all bases are alkalis. For example, ammonia is a base but not an alkali because it does not contain a metal.
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The concept of alkalis is more commonly used in inorganic chemistry, particularly in the context of alkali metals. The term base is used across all of chemistry, including organic chemistry.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
Water-soluble base producing OH − ions
Substance that accepts hydrogen ions
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Chemistry Context
Common in inorganic chemistry
Used in all chemistry fields
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Alkali and Base Definitions
Alkali
Typically forms salts when reacting with acids.
The alkali reacted with the acid to form a salt and water.
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Base
A substance that can accept hydrogen ions.
Ammonia is a base that reacts with hydrogen ions.
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Alkali
Neutralizes acids in a chemical reaction.
The alkali was used to neutralize the acidic solution.
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Base
Can be either strong or weak, depending on its ionization.
Sodium hydroxide is a strong base, whereas ammonia is a weak base.
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Alkali
Often used in cleaning products due to its reactivity.
Many household cleaners contain an alkali for effective cleaning.
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Base
Neutralizes acids, forming water and a salt.
The base was added to the acid to form water and salt.
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Alkali
Derived from alkali metals like sodium and potassium.
Potassium hydroxide is an alkali derived from an alkali metal.
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Base
Can be found in various household items, like baking soda.
Baking soda, a common household base, is used in cooking.
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Alkali
A base that dissolves in water to release hydroxide ions.
Sodium hydroxide is a strong alkali used in soap making.
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Alkali
A carbonate or hydroxide of an alkali metal, the aqueous solution of which is bitter, slippery, caustic, and characteristically basic in reactions.
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Base
The part of a plant or animal organ that is nearest to its point of attachment.
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Alkali
Any of various soluble mineral salts found in natural water and arid soils.
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Base
A supporting part or layer; a foundation
A skyscraper built on a base of solid rock.
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Base
A basic or underlying element; infrastructure
The nation's industrial base.
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Alkali
(chemistry) One of a class of caustic bases, such as soda, soda ash, caustic soda, potash, ammonia, and lithia, whose distinguishing characteristics are dissolving in alcohol and water, uniting with oils and fats to form soap, neutralizing and forming salts with acids, turning to brown several vegetable yellows, and changing reddened litmus to blue.
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Base
The fundamental principle or underlying concept of a system or theory; a basis.
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Alkali
(Western United States) Soluble mineral matter, other than common salt, contained in soils of natural waters.
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Base
A fundamental ingredient; a chief constituent
A paint with an oil base.
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Base
The fact, observation, or premise from which a reasoning process is begun.
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Alkali
One of a class of caustic bases, such as soda, potash, ammonia, and lithia, whose distinguishing peculiarities are solubility in alcohol and water, uniting with oils and fats to form soap, neutralizing and forming salts with acids, turning to brown several vegetable yellows, and changing reddened litmus to blue.
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Alkali
Soluble mineral matter, other than common salt, contained in soils of natural waters.
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Base
(Baseball) Any one of the four corners of an infield, marked by a bag or plate, that must be touched by a runner before a run can be scored.
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Alkali
Any of various water-soluble compounds capable of turning litmus blue and reacting with an acid to form a salt and water;
Bases include oxides and hydroxides of metals and ammonia
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Alkali
A mixture of soluble salts found in arid soils and some bodies of water; detrimental to agriculture
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Base
The portion of a social organization, especially a political party, consisting of the most dedicated or motivated members.
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Base
A facial cosmetic used to even out the complexion or provide a surface for other makeup; a foundation.
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Base
(Architecture) The lowest part of a structure, such as a wall, considered as a separate unit
The base of a column.
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Base
(Linguistics) A morpheme or morphemes regarded as a form to which affixes or other bases may be added.
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Base
The side or face of a geometric figure to which an altitude is or is thought to be drawn.
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Base
The number that is raised to various powers to generate the principal counting units of a number system. The base of the decimal system, for example, is 10.
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Base
The number raised to the logarithm of a designated number in order to produce that designated number; the number at which a chosen logarithmic scale has the value 1.
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Base
Any of a class of compounds whose aqueous solutions are characterized by a bitter taste, a slippery feel, the ability to turn litmus blue, and the ability to react with acids to form salts.
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Base
A substance that can donate a pair of electrons to form a covalent bond.
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Base
One of the nitrogen-containing purines (adenine and guanine) or pyrimidines (cytosine, thymine, and uracil) that occurs attached to the sugar component of DNA or RNA.
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Base
Situated at or near the base or bottom
A base camp for the mountain climbers.
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Base
Having or showing a lack of decency; contemptible, mean-spirited, or selfish.
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Base
To find a basis for; establish
Based her conclusions on the report.
A film based on a best-selling novel.
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Base
(cosmetics) Foundation: a cosmetic cream to make the face appear uniform.
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Base
(chemistry) Any of a class of generally water-soluble compounds, having bitter taste, that turn red litmus blue, and react with acids to form salts.
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Base
(baseball) One of the four places that a runner can stand without being subject to being tagged out when the ball is in play.
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Base
(architecture) The lowermost part of a column, between the shaft and the pedestal or pavement.
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Base
(botany) The end of a leaf, petal or similar organ where it is attached to its support.
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Base
(electronics) The name of the controlling terminal of a bipolar transistor (BJT).
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Base
(geometry) The lowest side of a triangle or other polygon, or the lowest face of a cone, pyramid or other polyhedron laid flat.
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Base
(mathematics) A number raised to the power of an exponent.
The logarithm to base 2 of 8 is 3.
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Base
(topology) A topological space, looked at in relation to one of its covering spaces, fibrations, or bundles.
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Base
(group theory) A sequence of elements not jointly stabilized by any nontrivial group element.
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Base
In hand-to-hand balance, the person who supports the flyer; the person that remains in contact with the ground.
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Base
(linguistics) A morpheme (or morphemes) that serves as a basic foundation on which affixes can be attached.
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Base
A kind of skirt (often of velvet or brocade, but sometimes of mail or other armour) which hung from the middle to about the knees, or lower.
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Base
A line in a survey which, being accurately determined in length and position, serves as the origin from which to compute the distances and positions of any points or objects connected with it by a system of triangles.
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Base
(politics) A group of voters who almost always support a single party's candidates for elected office.
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Base
(Marxism) The forces and relations of production that produce the necessities and amenities of life.
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Base
(transitive) To give as its foundation or starting point; to lay the foundation of.
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Base
(legal) Not held by honourable service.
A base estate is one held by services not honourable, or held by villenage. Such a tenure is called base, or low, and the tenant is a base tenant.
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Base
Of little, or less than the usual, height; of low growth; as, base shrubs.
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Base
Of little comparative value, as metal inferior to gold and silver, the precious metals.
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Base
Morally low. Hence: Low-minded; unworthy; without dignity of sentiment; ignoble; mean; illiberal; menial; as, a base fellow; base motives; base occupations.
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Base
Not held by honorable service; as, a base estate, one held by services not honorable; held by villenage. Such a tenure is called base, or low, and the tenant, a base tenant.
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Base
The bottom of anything, considered as its support, or that on which something rests for support; the foundation; as, the base of a statue.
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Base
Fig.: The fundamental or essential part of a thing; the essential principle; a groundwork.
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Base
The lower part of a wall, pier, or column, when treated as a separate feature, usually in projection, or especially ornamented.
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Base
That extremity of a leaf, fruit, etc., at which it is attached to its support.
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Base
The positive, or non-acid component of a salt; a substance which, combined with an acid, neutralizes the latter and forms a salt; - applied also to the hydroxides of the positive elements or radicals, and to certain organic bodies resembling them in their property of forming salts with acids.
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Base
The exterior side of the polygon, or that imaginary line which connects the salient angles of two adjacent bastions.
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Base
The line or surface constituting that part of a figure on which it is supposed to stand.
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Base
The number from which a mathematical table is constructed; as, the base of a system of logarithms.
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Base
A low, or deep, sound. (Mus.) (a) The lowest part; the deepest male voice. (b) One who sings, or the instrument which plays, base.
The trebles squeak for fear, the bases roar.
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Base
A place or tract of country, protected by fortifications, or by natural advantages, from which the operations of an army proceed, forward movements are made, supplies are furnished, etc.
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Base
That part of an organ by which it is attached to another more central organ.
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Base
A kind of skirt (often of velvet or brocade, but sometimes of mailed armor) which hung from the middle to about the knees, or lower.
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Base
The point or line from which a start is made; a starting place or a goal in various games.
To their appointed base they went.
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Base
A line in a survey which, being accurately determined in length and position, serves as the origin from which to compute the distances and positions of any points or objects connected with it by a system of triangles.
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Base
To put on a base or basis; to lay the foundation of; to found, as an argument or conclusion; - used with on or upon.
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Base
To abase; to let, or cast, down; to lower.
If any . . . based his pike.
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Base
Any of various water-soluble compounds capable of turning litmus blue and reacting with an acid to form a salt and water;
Bases include oxides and hydroxides of metals and ammonia
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Base
Installation from which a military force initiates operations;
The attack wiped out our forward bases
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Base
Lowest support of a structure;
It was built on a base of solid rock
He stood at the foot of the tower
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Base
Place that runner must touch before scoring;
He scrambled to get back to the bag
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Base
(numeration system) the positive integer that is equivalent to one in the next higher counting place;
10 is the radix of the decimal system
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Base
(anatomy) the part of an organ nearest its point of attachment;
The base of the skull
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Base
The fundamental assumptions from which something is begun or developed or calculated or explained;
The whole argument rested on a basis of conjecture
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Base
The bottom side of a geometric figure from which the altitude can be constructed;
The base of the triangle
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Base
The most important or necessary part of something;
The basis of this drink is orange juice
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Base
The place where you are stationed and from which missions start and end
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Base
An intensely anti-western terrorist network that dispenses money and logistical support and training to a wide variety of radical Islamic terrorist group; has cells in more than 50 countries
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Base
(linguistics) the form of a word after all affixes are removed;
Thematic vowels are part of the stem
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Base
The stock of basic facilities and capital equipment needed for the functioning of a country or area;
The industrial base of Japan
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Base
The principal ingredient of a mixture;
Glycerinated gelatin is used as a base for many ointments
He told the painter that he wanted a yellow base with just a hint of green
Everything she cooked seemed to have rice as the base
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Base
A flat bottom on which something is intended to sit;
A tub should sit on its own base
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Base
(electronics) the part of a transistor that separates the emitter from the collector
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Base
Serving as or forming a base;
The painter applied a base coat followed by two finishing coats
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Base
(used of metals) consisting of or alloyed with inferior metal;
Base coins of aluminum
A base metal
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Base
Of low birth or station (`base' is archaic in this sense);
Baseborn wretches with dirty faces
Of humble (or lowly) birth
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Base
Not adhering to ethical or moral principles;
Base and unpatriotic motives
A base, degrading way of life
Cheating is dishonorable
They considered colonialism immoral
Unethical practices in handling public funds
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Base
Having or showing an ignoble lack of honor or morality;
That liberal obedience without which your army would be a base rabble
Taking a mean advantage
Chok'd with ambition of the meaner sort
Something essentially vulgar and meanspirited in politics
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Base
Often forms hydroxide ions in water.
When dissolved in water, the base released hydroxide ions.
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Repeatedly Asked Queries
What is a base?
A substance that accepts hydrogen ions or donates electrons.
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How do alkalis react with acids?
They neutralize acids to form salt and water.
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Are bases harmful?
Strong bases can be harmful, but not all bases are dangerous.
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What are common uses for bases?
In cleaning, cooking, and industrial processes.
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How are alkalis identified?
By their reaction with acids and specific pH tests.
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About Author
Written by
Shumaila SaeedShumaila Saeed, an expert content creator with 6 years of experience, specializes in distilling complex topics into easily digestible comparisons, shining a light on the nuances that both inform and educate readers with clarity and accuracy.
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