Base Dissociation Constant

Real World Example

Imagine trying to decide how spicy a pepper is before you take a bite. Just like you might use a Scoville scale to measure and predict the heat level of a pepper, the base dissociation constant (Kb) measures and predicts the strength of a base. In this analogy, the pepper's spiciness is akin to the base's ability to dissociate in solution, and just as the Scoville scale provides a numerical value to indicate how intensely you might feel the heat, the Kb value provides a numerical indication of how strongly a base can produce hydroxide ions in a solution.