Acids and Bases

Properties
Nomenclature
Arrhenius Theory
pH scale
Acid-base Indicators
Neutralization
Applications
 Everyday Acids
Lemon juice: citric acid
Vinegar: acetic acid
Stomach acid: hydrochloric acid
Aspirin: acetylsalicylic acid
Wine: acids in grapes
 Omega 3 Fatty Acids

An essential fatty acid (needed by humans but cant

be made by our own bodies and must be ingested)
Found naturally in oily fish, flaxseed, canola oil
 Trans Fatty Acids

created when oils are hydrogenated

prevents oil from becoming rancid and keeps them
solid at room temperature
Caffeine
Baking soda
Antacids
Soap
Chalk
Bleach Everyday Bases
Cleaners
Rotting Fish
A 56-foot, 60-ton whale
died on a beach in
Taiwan in January,
2004. The carcass was
on its way to a research
center when the gases
from its decomposition
caused it to explode.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3437455.stm
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4096586/
http://theexplodingwhale.com/more-whales/20040126-taiwan/
 Physical Properties
Properties Acids Bases
Taste
Texture
pH
Solubility
Conductivity
Hazards
 Physical Properties
Properties Acids Bases
Taste Sour Bitter
Texture NA Feels slippery
pH Less than 7 Greater than 7
Solubility
Conductivity
Hazards
Physical Properties
 Physical Properties
Properties Acids Bases
Taste Sour Bitter
Texture NA Feels slippery
pH Less than 7 Greater than 7
Solubility Soluble in water
Conductivity Conducts electricity
Hazards Corrosive, burns skin
 Chemical Properties

Properties Acids Bases

Corrosion
Reaction with
metal
Litmus paper
reaction
 Chemical Properties

Properties Acids Bases

Corrosion Corrodes metals NA

Reaction with
Produce H2(g) NA
metal
Litmus paper
Turns red Turns blue
reaction
 Chemical Properties

Magnesium + hydrochloric acid magnesium chloride + hydrogen gas

Mg(s) + 2HCl(aq) MgCl2(s) + H2(g)
 Definitions

Dissociation: Separation of ions when an

ionic compound dissolves in water.
Ionization: A compound that is converted
into an ion.

Thus, dissociation is a form of ionization.

 Arrhenius Theory
An acid is a substance that dissociates
in water to produce these ions:
hydrogen ions (H+) or
hydronium ions (H3O+)
 Arrhenius Theory
Examples of acid ionizing:
HBr(aq) H+ (aq) + Br- (aq)

H2SO4(aq) 2 H+ (aq) + SO42- (aq)

CH3COOH(aq) CH3COO- (aq) + H+ (aq)

Note: not all hydrogens in a molecule are ionized
 Arrhenius Theory
Examples of acid dissociating in water:
HBr(aq) + H20(l) H30+ + Br-

H2SO4(aq) + H20(l) 2 H30+ + SO42-

CH3COOH(aq) + H20(l) CH3COO- + H30+

Note: not all hydrogens in a molecule are dissociated
 Recall: Types of Acids
Binary or Simple acids
Consist of hydrogen and a nonmetal
Example: HCl
Oxyacids
Consists of hydrogen and a polyatomic
Example: H2SO4, CH3COOH
 Recall: Acid Nomenclature
Binary or Simple acids
hydro + nonmetal ic + acid

Oxyacids
Identify the polyatomic and look for
the oxyacid name on the reference
chart and add acid
 Arrhenius Theory
An base is a substance that
dissociates in water to produce
hydroxide ions (OH-).
 Arrhenius Theory
Examples of base dissociating in water:
LiOH(aq) Li+ + OH-

Ba(OH)2(aq) Ba2+ + 2 OH-

 Recognizing Bases
All bases have a chemical formula
that either:
Ends with an OH (hydroxide)
Ends with an HCO3 (bicarbonate)
Example:
KOH, NaHCO3
 Naming Bases
All bases are ionic compounds
containing a polyatomic ion
Naming follows the same rules as any
ionic compound: metal + polyatomic
Examples:
KOH = Potassium hydroxide
NaHCO3 = Sodium bicarbonate
 Strength of Acids and Bases
Determined by the ability to ionize
Strong acids and bases ionize almost
completely in water (100%):
HCl(aq) H+ + Cl-
NaOH(aq) Na+ + OH-

Notice the single direction of the arrow

 Strength of Acids and Bases
Weak acids and bases partially ionize in water.
Some of the molecules remain in its neutral
compound form:
CH3COOH(aq) CH3COO- + H+
NH4OH(aq) NH4+ + OH-

Notice the double arrow indicating that the

reaction can be reversed which assumes that
not all the substance is in the ion form.
 pH = power of hydrogen
A measure of the concentration of
hydrogen (H+) or hydronium (H3O+) ions
A measure of how acidic or basic a
solution is
Can only be determined if the substance
is in an aqueous solution (dissolved in
water)
 pH Formula
Given the concentration of hydrogen, the
pH is calculated by this formula:
pH = -log[H+]
Where concentration is measured in mol/L
Example: What is the pH if the hydrogen
concentration is 10-3 mol/L?
pH = -log(10 3) = 3
 pH Scale examples
[H+] in mol/L pH = -log[H+]
1 x 100 = 1 0 Acid
1 x 10-1 = 0.1 1 Acid
1 x 10-2 = 0.01 2 Acid
1 x 10-3 = 0.001 3 Acid
1 x 10-7 7 Neutral
1 x 10-10 10 Base
1 x 10-14 14 Base
 pH scale
Numerical scale ranging from 0-14 used
to compare the acidity of solutions
 pH scale
Pure water has a pH of 7
Substances near pH 7 are neutral

Neutral substances are neither acid nor base

 pH scale
Acids have a pH below 7 when it is in an
aqueous solution.

The more acidic the substance, the lower the pH

 pH scale
Bases have a pH greater than 7 when it is
in an aqueous solution.

The more basic a substance, the higher the pH

 pH scale
One unit of change on
the pH scale is a change
by a factor of 10
E.g. There are 100x (not
2x) more hydrogens at
pH 4 than pH 6.
 pH Application
Would most edible substances be
classified as mostly acidic or basic?
 pH Application
Are soaps and toothpastes slightly
acidic or basic? Give a reason.
 pH Application
Experiments show that teeth begin to
lose minerals at pH 5.5 or less. How
could you adjust your diet to minimize
mineral loss?
 pH Application
Explain why personal hygiene products
(e.g. soap, toothpaste) are closer to a
neutral pH rather than extremely acidic
or basic.
 pH Application
Some skin creams claim that they are
pH balanced and yet do not have a
pH of 7. What do the manufacturers
mean when they say pH balanced?
 Acid-Base Indicators
An acid-base indicator is any
substance that changes colour in the
presence of an acid or
a base
 Acid-Base Indicators
The most widely known acid-base
indicator is litmus
Litmus is a plant extract that can be
blue or red (pink)
 Acid-Base Indicators
The colour of hydrangea flowers is
dependent upon the pH of the soil
 Acid-Base Indicators
Litmus paper
turns red/pink in an acidic
solution

turns blue in a basic solution

 Acid-Base Indicators
It would be impossible to determine the
pH of all solutions using just one
indicator, such as litmus

Several other acid-base

indicators exist, each
producing a colour
change at a specific
pH level
 Acid-Base Indicators
A universal
indicator is a
mixture of
chemicals that
changes colour
through a wide
range of pH
values
An even more precise
way of determining pH
is to use a pH meter
 Acid-Base Indicators
Indicators can be classified into 2
types depending on where they
originated from
a. Chemical indicators
b. Natural indicators
 Acid-Base Indicators
Chemical Indicators are made from
chemicals
Most chemical indicators only have 2-3
colour changes that describes a specific
pH range
Universal indicators have many colour
changes across the whole pH spectrum
and thus can provide a specific pH value
 Acid-Base Indicator
Natural indicators are made from
plants
Leaves: red cabbage
Fruits: strawberry, blueberry
Roots: beets
Bulbs: red onions
Flower: roses
 Acid-Base Indicator
Red cabbage indicator colour range
 Neutralization Reactions
Neutralization is a chemical reaction
between an acid and a base that
produces water (H2O) and a salt
acid + base salt + water
 Neutralization Reactions
Neutralization reactions with hydroxide
bases are generally double displacement
reactions.
HCl + NaOH NaCl + HOH

HCl + NaOH NaCl + H2O

acid + base salt + water

 Neutralization Reactions
Sample question: Name the salt in the neutralization
reaction between potassium hydroxide and carbonic
acid.

Step 1: Write the chemical formula of the reactants

Step 2: Predict the products in the double
displacement neutralization reaction
Step 3: Identify the water molecule in the products.
The other product will be the salt.
 Neutralization Reactions
Sample question: Name the salt in the
neutralization reaction between
potassium hydroxide and carbonic acid.

KOH + H2CO3 K2CO3 + HOH

KOH + H2CO3 K2CO3 + H2O

salt water
Neutralization Reactions
The salts formed may be
soluble in water or can be
insoluble
If the salt is insoluble, a
precipitate will form
Recall: a precipitate is a
suspension of small, solid
particles formed during a
chemical reaction
 Neutralization Reactions
Neutralization with a bicarbonate base is a
double displacement action with an extra step
that produces salt, water and carbon dioxide.

HCl + NaHCO3 NaCl + H2CO3

HCl + NaHCO3 NaCl + H2O + CO2

acid + base salt + water + carbon dioxide

 Neutralization Applications
Question 1
In a neutralization reaction with a bicarbonate base,
which of the 3 products produced is useful in baking?
Recall: acid + base salt + water + carbon dioxide

Question 2
Explain why recipe instructions often say to mix the
dry ingredients together before adding the wet ones.
Hint: Dry ingredients usually include a bicarbonate
base. Wet ingredients usually include an acid.

http://www.cookies-in-motion.com/
 Neutralization Applications
Question 3
A soda-acid fire extinguisher contains both
sulfuric acid and sodium bicarbonate.
Write the chemical equation for this reaction.
Which of the products is the main ingredient
for smothering flames?
Hint: a fire only survives if it has oxygen gas

http://www.dumfriesmutual.com/?i=12629&mid=1000&id=342650
 Neutralization Applications

Question 4
Calcium Oxide (CaO) also known as
lime has been very useful in
managing soil pH and dealing with
acid spills. Explain how.
Hint: CaO + H2O Ca(OH)2
http://www.thebeginnergardener.com/testing-the-soil-ph-and-consistency
 Neutralization Applications
Question 5
Acid precipitation is mostly due to the formation of
sulfuric acid (H2SO4) from sulfur oxides (SOx) produced
from burning coal.
Soils have some buffering capacity to resist changes in
acidity from acid precipitation.
Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3) also known as limestone
plays an important role in buffering
Write the chemical reaction between limestone and
acid precipitation. Hint: carbonates act similarly to
bicarbonates in a neutralization reaction.

http://environment-rajesh.blogspot.com/2010_07_01_archive.html
 Neutralization Applications
Question 6
Household hot water pipes can become
blocked by deposits of solid calcium carbonate.
What would you suggest to a plumber to use
for removing the calcium carbonate?
Write the chemical equation for your reaction
between calcium carbonate and your
suggested product.

http://www.sciencephoto.com/media/220974/enlarge
 Neutralization Applications
Question 7
A third type of base that we havent
studied are amines.
Oils in fish contain amines that give it
a distinctive odour.
Why do you think people often
squeeze lemon juice on their fish?

http://www.theravenouscouple.com/2009/06/lemon-garnish-fish-with-a-twist.html