Calcium Hydroxide Dissociation: Understanding the Reaction Ca(OH)2(s) → Ca2+(aq) + 2OH-(aq)
The reaction CaOH2(s) → Ca2+(aq) + 2OH-(aq) reveals that calcium hydroxide dissociates into calcium ions and hydroxide ions when dissolved in water. This indicates that calcium hydroxide is a strong base, as it completely dissociates in water to produce hydroxide ions, which can react with acids to form water.