ACIDS AND BASES

Acid

- a substance that turns blue litmus paper red

- has a sour taste
- soluble in water and form an acidic solution
- very corrosive
- examples, hydrochloric acid, sulphuric acid, nitric acid, citric acid

Bases

- a substance that reacts with an acid to give a neutral solution

- turns red litmus paper blue
- react with acids and remove the sour taste
- some bases dissolve in water to form an alkaline solution
- bases that dissolve in water are called alkalis
- examples sodium hydroxide, ammonia, sodium carbonate
Neutral substances

- substances that are neither acidic nor basic

- have no effect on litmus paper

Litmus paper test for acids and bases

- a litmus paper changes between red and blue

- a blue litmus paper turns red in the presence of an acid
- a red litmus paper turns blue in the presence of a base

Experiment : to investigate the effect of acids and bases on litmus paper

Method

Dip a litmus paper in a solution of the following substances and record

observations
Results

Substance Red litmus paper Blue litmus paper Type of substance

Sodium hydroxide Turns blue No effect alkali

Lemon juice No effect Turns red acid

Colgate Turns blue No effect alkali

Bicarbonate of Turns blue No effect alkali

soda
Tap water No effect No effect neutral

Handy andy Turns blue No effect alkali

Vinegar No effect Turns red acid

Properties of acids and bases

 Acids and bases can be strong or weak

 Strong acids and bases are very corrosive and dangerous e. sulphuric
acid, hydrochloric acid, sodium hydroxide
 These cause serious burns
 In the labs, we use dilute acids dissolved in water
 Weak acids are for example citric acid found in citrus fruits, acetic acid in
vinegar and these are not dangerous
 Weak bases are for example the bases found in toothpaste, bicarbonate
of soda and detergents

Uses of acids and bases

i. Acids formed in the mouth by bacteria cause tooth decay. The

alkali in toothpaste removes the acids preventing tooth decay
ii. Our stomachs contain hydrochloric acid needed for digestion of
food. A person with excess acid in the stomach takes anti acids
which contain an alkali that removes the excess acids
iii. The acid in a bee sting can be neutralised by bicarbonate of soda
iv. The alkaline sting of a wasp can be neutralised using vinegar