Chemistry Equilibrium NUMS 2019
PMDC Verified Question 77 of 102
Which one of the following bases has highest \( K_b \) value?
A
\( \text{NH}_4\text{OH} \)
B
\( \text{NaOH} \)
C
\( \text{Ca(OH)}_2 \)
D
\( \text{CH}_3\text{NH}_2 \)
Tap any option to test your recall and reveal the step-by-step Propolis autopsy.

Propolis Cognitive Error Autopsy

Official Correct Choice:
Option B: \( \text{NaOH} \)
Concept:

The base dissociation constant (\( K_b \)) is a measure of base strength. Strong bases completely dissociate in water and have exceptionally high \( K_b \) values.

Formula:

$$ K_b = \frac{[B^+][\text{OH}^-]}{[B\text{OH}]} $$

Solution:

  • \( \text{NaOH} \) is an alkali metal hydroxide, which makes it a very strong base that dissociates \( \approx 100\% \) in aqueous solutions.


  • Because the denominator \( [B\text{OH}] \) approaches zero, its \( K_b \) value is astronomically large compared to weak bases.


  • \( \text{NH}_4\text{OH} \) and \( \text{CH}_3\text{NH}_2 \) are weak bases. \( \text{Ca(OH)}_2 \) is a strong base but has lower solubility than NaOH.


Why other options are incorrect:

Weak bases have \( K_b \) values typically in the range of \( 10^{-4} \) to \( 10^{-10} \), which are infinitely smaller than a strong base like \( \text{NaOH} \).

Quality & Fidelity Assurance: Every question on BeambePrep is rigorously curated against the official PMDC syllabus with zero filler, zero out-of-syllabus content, and zero typos. When an authentic past paper originally contained a historical mistake or ambiguity from the examining board (such as UHS or NUMS), BeambePrep faithfully reflects the original paper while detailing the nuance and scientific consensus in the autopsy above.

Want to solve full-length papers under timed exam conditions?

Practice with zero-scroll lockdown sprints, dynamic latency zone timers, live peer selection telemetry, and the automated Amber mistake recovery loop.