Which statement correctly identifies sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide?

• A. They are acids
• B. They are bases
• C. They are polymers
• D. They are catalysts

Answer: (B)

Sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide are bases. In water they dissociate to release hydroxide ions (OH−), which raises the solution’s pH. This OH− presence defines basic behavior, and they readily neutralize acids to form salts and water (for example, NaOH reacting with an acid like HCl gives NaCl and H2O). They are not acids because they do not donate protons; they don’t form polymers, since they are simple inorganic compounds (Na+ or K+ paired with OH−); and they are not catalysts, because in neutralization they are consumed to drive the reaction rather than just speeding it up without being consumed.