bases
Bases are ionic compounds that produce negative hydroxide ions OH - when dissolved in water. An ionic compound contains positive metal ions and negative nonmetal ions held together by ionic bonds. Ions are atoms that have become charged particles because they have either lost or gained electrons. An example of a base is sodium hydroxide NaOH . When it dissolves in water, it produces negative hydroxide ions and positive sodium ions Na + . This can be represented by the equation:.