Acids, Bases & Salts

Name: _______________________________ ( ) Class: _______

Date: __________
1. Acids
Definition
An acid is a substance which produces hydrogen ions as the only positive ions when it is dissolved in
water.
Example: HCl molecules dissolve in water to give hydrogen ion and chloride ion.

Examples
Stron acids
Common ! "ineral Name C#emical Name C#emical $orm%la
Hydrochloric acid Hydrogen chloride HCl
Nitric acid Hydrogen nitrate HNO3
ul!uric acid Hydrogen sul!ate H"O#
&ea' acids
Name of Acid So%rce
Acetic acid $ethanoic acid% vinegar
Citric acid lemon
&artaric acid grape
Strent# of an acid
&he strent# o! an acid depends on its degree o! dissociation ! ionisation in water to !orm
hydrogen ions.
Stron acids
A strong acid is one that ionises ! dissociates completel( in water to produce hydrogen ions
$H
'
%. &here are no molecules le!t. &he solution contains a high concentration o! ions: good
electrical conductor.
(ure HCl $g% : covalent
HCl $a)% * H
'
$a)% ' Cl
+
$a)%
(ure HNO3 $l% : covalent
HNO3 $a)% * H
'
$a)% ' NO3
+
$a)%
(ure H"O# $l% : covalent
H"O# $a)% * "H
'
$a)% ' O#
"+
$a)%
,
&ea' acids
A wea- acid is one that ionises ! dissociates incompletel( ! partiall( in water to produce !ew
hydrogen ions $H
'
%. .ost o! the acid molecules remain as molecules. &he solution contains a low
concentration o! ions: poor electrical conductor.
CH3COOH $a)% CH3COO
+
$a)% ' H
'
$a)%
)mportance of *ater for acidit(
(ure acids exist as molecules instead o! ions. (ure acids do not behave as acids as the
properties o! acids are due to the presence o! hydrogen ions. /hen acids are mixed with water0
ionisation o! acids occurs0 and hydrogen ions are produced. &here!ore0 acids can only behave as
acids when they are dissolved in water.
+roperties of Acids
An acid0 when dissolved in water0 !orms a colourless solution. olutions o! acids have the
!ollowing properties:
,. so%r taste.
". change the colour o! indicators $e.g. turn ,l%e litmus paper red%.
3. contain hydrogen ions and conduct electricity.
#. react with metals, car,onates and ,ases.
-eactions *it# metals
Acids react with metals to produce a salt and #(droen
Acid ' metal * salt ' hydrogen
Example: "HCl $a)% ' 1n $s% * 1nCl" $a)% ' H" $g%
Observations: $a% E!!ervescence observed. Colourless0 odourless gas evolved which
extinguished a lighted wooden splint with a 2pop3 sound.
$b% 4rey solid reduced in si5e $when in excess%. 4rey solid dissolves to !orm
a colourless solution
$c% Heat liberated.
1inc chloride is called a salt. alts o! nitric acid are called nitrates. alts o! sul!uric acid are called
sul!ates0 and those o! hydrochloric acid are called chlorides. A salt is generally made up a cation
$that comes !rom a base% and an anion $that comes !rom an acid%. A salt is the product o! the
neutralisation o! an acid and a base
Acid Examples o! alts 6ormula
ul!uric acid 1inc sul!ate
odium sul!ate
1nO#
Na"O#
Nitric acid (otassium nitrate
Copper $77% nitrate
8NO3
Cu$NO3%"
Hydrochloric acid .agnesium chloride
odium chloride
.gCl"
NaCl
"
Exceptions (.ptional)
a% .etals which are less reactive than hydrogen is not reactive enough to react with acids.
9eactivity eries:
(otassium .ost 9eactive
odium
Calcium
.agnesium
Aluminium
1inc
7ron
&in
:ead
Hydrogen
Copper
ilver
4old :east reactive

-eactions *it# car,onates
Acids react with carbonate to produce a salt0 car,on dioxide and *ater.
Acid ' carbonate * salt ' carbon dioxide ' water
Example: Na"CO3 $s% ' H"O# $a)% * Na"O# $a)% ' CO" $g% ' H"O $l%
Observations: $a% E!!ervescence occurs. Colourless0 odourless gas evolved which reacts
with calcium hydroxide to !orm a white precipitate.
$b% /hite solid dissolves to !orm a colourless solution.
-eactions *it# ,ases
Acids react with ,ases (metal oxides and metal #(droxides) to produce a salt and *ater.
Acid ' base * salt ' water
Example: .gO $s% ' H"O# $a)% * .gO# $a)% ' H"O $l%
Observation: $a% /hite solid dissolves to !orm a colourless solution.
Example: "8OH $a)% ' H"O# $a)% * 8"O# $a)% ' "H"O $l%
Observation: $a% Heat is evolved. No visible change.
/ses of acids
ul!uric acid: in ma-ing detergents and !ertilisers
in car batteries as battery acid

Ethanoic acid: to preserve !ood
3
Colo%r c#ane of indicators
)ndicators .,ser0ation(s)
:itmus paper An acid turns ,l%e litmus paper red.
.ethyl Orange ;sed to identi!y strong acids.
Colour change at pH #
trong acid turns methyl orange red.
Al-ali turn methyl orange (ello*.
(henolphthalein ;sed to identi!y strong al-alis.
Colour change at pH <
trong al-ali turns phenolphthalein pin'.
(henolphthalein remains colourless in acid.
;niversal 7ndicator 7n neutral solutions0 universal indicator remains reen.
trong acid: red
trong al-ali: violet
p1
pH values depend on the concentration o! acid=base and degree o! dissociation. &he use o! pH in
measuring the strength o! an acid is limited since its value changes with concentration.
&he higher the concentration o! the hydrogen ion0 the lower the pH value. 6or instance0 a solution
with a pH value o! , has a higher concentration o! hydrogen ions as compared to a solution with a
pH value o! ".
2. Bases and Al'alis
Definition of ,ases
>ases are the oxides or hydroxides o! metal that reacts with an acid to !orm a salt and water only.
Definition of al'ali
An al-ali is a metal hydroxide which is soluble in water and produces hydroxide ions $OH
+
% in
water.
All al-alis are bases but not all bases are al-alis.
Examples
)nsol%,le ,ase
Copper $77% oxide0 aluminium oxide0 5inc oxide0 5inc hydroxide
Sol%,le ,ase ! al'ali
odium oxide0 potassium oxide0 sodium hydroxide0 potassium hydroxide0 calcium hydroxide
$slightly soluble%0 ammonium hydroxide
#
Strent# of an al'ali
&he strent# o! an al-ali depends on its degree o! dissociation ! ionisation in water to !orm
hydroxide ions. &he properties o! al-alis are due to the hydroxides ions.
Stron al'ali
A strong al-ali is one that ionises ! dissociates completel( in water to produce hydroxide ions
$OH
+
%. &here are no molecules le!t. &he common strong al-alis are sodium hydroxide and
potassium hydroxide.
NaOH $a)% * Na
'
$a)% ' OH
+
$a)%
8OH $a)% * 8
'
$a)% ' OH
+
$a)%
&ea' al'ali
A wea- al-ali is one that ionises ! dissociates incompletel( ! partiall( in water to produce !ew
hydroxide ions $OH
+
%. .ost o! the al-ali molecules remain as molecules.
+roperties of ,ases
,. Al-alis have a soapy !eel and a bitter taste.
". Al-alis can change the colour o! indicators $e.g. turn red litmus paper ,l%e%.
3. >ases can react with acids to !orm salt and *ater only ? Ne%tralisation.
>ase ' acid * salt ' water
Example: NaOH $a)% ' HCl $a)% * NaCl $a)% ' H"O $l%
Note: Neutralisation ? &he !ormation o! molecules o! water !rom hydrogen ion o! an acid and
hydroxide ion o! an al-ali. H
'
$a)% ' OH
+
$a)% * H"O $l%.
#. >ases can react with ammonium salts to !orm salt0 ammonia and *ater.
>ase ' ammonium salt * salt ' ammonia ' water
Example: NaOH $a)% ' NH#Cl $s% * NaCl $a)% ' NH3 $g% ' H"O $l%
Observation: $a% A colourless0 pungent gas is evolved.
4as turns damp red litmus paper blue.
@. Al-alis can react with a solution o! one metal salt to give metal hydroxide and another metal
salt
Example: CuO# $a)% ' "NaOH $a)% * Cu$OH%" $s% ' Na"O# $a)%
/ses of Bases and Al'alis
.agnesium hydroxide: in toothpaste to neutralise the acids on our teeth produced by
bacteria.
Ammonia solution: used !or cleaning glass windows
@