CB stands for "conjugate base." In the context of acid-base chemistry, when an acid loses a proton (H+), it forms a conjugate base. For example, in the reaction HCl + H2O → H3O+ + Cl-, H2O is the base and it accepts a proton (H+) from HCl to form its conjugate acid, H3O+. Likewise, HCl loses a proton (H+) to form its conjugate base, Cl-. The conjugate base of an acid is always one less proton than the original acid.
acidity increases with the stability of the conjugate base (CB). This is because the stability of the CB indicates how well it can accommodate the negative charge that results from the removal of a proton (H+) from the acid. The more stable the CB, the better it can stabilize the negative charge, making the loss of the proton more favorable and the acid stronger. Conversely, if the CB is unstable, it will not be able to stabilize the negative charge as effectively, and the acid will be weaker.
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