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base science definition
- Chemistry a. Any of a class of compounds that form hydroxyl ions (OH) when dissolved in water, and whose aqueous solutions react with acids to form salts. Bases turn red litmus paper blue and have a pH greater than 7. Their aqueous solutions have a bitter taste. Compare acid.b. See nitrogen base.
- Mathematics a. The side or face of a geometric figure to which an altitude is or is thought to be drawn. The base can be, but is not always, the bottom part of the figure.b. The number that is raised to various powers to generate the principal counting units of a number system. The base of the decimal system, for example, is 10.c. The number that is raised to a particular power in a given mathematical expression. In the expression an, a is the base.
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