the.com/alkali
the chemical that fights acid by being its diametric, water-loving opposite.
means A base — a substance that neutralizes acids, typically forming salts and water, and feels slippery when dissolved.
from From medieval Latin 'alkali,' borrowed from Arabic 'al-qili' — 'al' being the definite article 'the,' and 'qili' meaning the calcined ashes of the saltwort plant, a fleshy seashore shrub that early chemists burned to extract their soda and potash. So the word literally means 'the ashes': you can still hear the Arabic 'al-' that prefixes so many chemical terms inherited from the alchemists, like 'alchemy' and 'alcohol.'
- name origin
- Arabic al-qali, meaning the calcined plant ashes.
- slippery feel
- Bases feel soapy because they dissolve your skin's oils.
- violent water
- Pure alkali metals explode on contact with water.
- pH zone
- Anything above 7 sits in alkaline territory.
- bleach within
- Strong bases can dissolve flesh, hair, and grease alike.
dead sea — body of water with ph around 8.15, extremely high salt and mineral content in middle east
soda lakes of kenya — lake nakuru and lake nairobi contain sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate, supporting specialized organisms
great salt lake — utah lake with ph 7.8-8.0 and high concentrations of sodium and potassium salts