▁pot ass ium ▁hydro x ide , ▁can ▁cause ▁a ▁violent ▁ex oth erm ic ▁reaction , ▁and ▁the ▁base ▁itself ▁can ▁cause ▁just ▁as ▁much ▁damage ▁as ▁the ▁original ▁acid ▁sp ill . ▁ ▁Al kal inity ▁of ▁non - h ydro x ides ▁B ases ▁are ▁generally ▁comp ounds ▁that ▁can ▁neutral ize ▁an ▁amount ▁of ▁ac ids . ▁Both ▁sod ium ▁carbon ate ▁and ▁am mon ia ▁are ▁bases , ▁although ▁neither ▁of ▁these ▁subst ances ▁contains ▁ ▁groups . ▁Both ▁comp ounds ▁accept ▁H + ▁when ▁dissol ved ▁in ▁prot ic ▁sol vent s ▁such ▁as ▁water : ▁ ▁Na 2 CO 3 ▁+ ▁H 2 O ▁→ ▁ 2 ▁Na + ▁+ ▁H CO 3 − ▁+ ▁O H − ▁N H 3 ▁+ ▁H 2 O ▁→ ▁N H 4 + ▁+ ▁O H − ▁ ▁From ▁this , ▁a ▁p H , ▁or ▁acid ity , ▁can ▁be ▁calculated ▁for ▁a que ous ▁solutions ▁of ▁bases . ▁B ases ▁also ▁directly ▁act ▁as ▁electron - pair ▁don ors ▁themselves : ▁ ▁CO 3 2 − ▁+ ▁H + ▁→ ▁H CO 3 − ▁N H 3 ▁+ ▁H + ▁→ ▁N H 4 + ▁ ▁A ▁base ▁is ▁also ▁defined ▁as ▁a ▁mole c ule ▁that ▁has ▁the ▁ability ▁to ▁accept ▁an ▁electron ▁pair ▁bond ▁by ▁entering ▁another ▁atom ' s ▁val ence ▁shell ▁through ▁its ▁possession ▁of ▁one ▁electron ▁pair . ▁There ▁are ▁a ▁limited ▁number ▁of ▁elements ▁that ▁have ▁atoms ▁with ▁the ▁ability ▁to