Acids and Bases

Chapter 12

1
 Learning Objectives...
 Define acids in terms of the ions they produce in aqueous
solution and their effects on indicators.
 Describe the characteristic properties of acids as in reactions
with metals, bases and carbonates.
 State some uses of acids.
 Define alkalis in terms of the ions they produce in aqueous
solution and their effects on indicators.
 Describe the characteristic properties of bases as in reactions
with acids, metal ions and ammonium compounds.
 Describe the pH scale as a measure of relative acidity and
alkalinity.
 Construct ionic equations.
2
Acids. citric acid in lime

..

in yoghurt
lactic acid
ethanoic acid in vinegar

tannic acid hydrochloric acid

in tea in gastric juice

formic acid in tartaric acid

bee sting in grapes
 Laboratory Acids
3 common laboratory acids:
 hydrochloric acid (HCl)

 sulphuric acid (H2SO4)

 nitric acid (HNO3)

4
 Physical Properties of
Acids
 Acids have a sour taste.
 Found in many sweets and fruits.
 Acids are hazardous.
 Dilute acids are irritants – can cause skin to redden and
blister.
 Acids change the colour of indicators:
 Turns blue litmus red

5
 Chemical Properties of
Acids
Acids react with metals
 Hydrogen gas is produced
 Test: use a burning splint.
 Observation: Fire extinguishes with
a ‘pop’ sound

hydrochloric acid + magnesium magnesium chloride + hydrogen

6
 Chemical Properties of
Acids
Acids react with carbonates and
hydrogen carbonate
 Carbon dioxide gas is produced
 Test: Bubble gas through limewater
 Observation: A white precipitate is formed.

hydrochloric acid + calcium carbonate calcium chloride + carbon dioxide + water

7
 Chemical Properties of
Acids
Acids react with metal oxides and hydroxide
 Most metal oxides and hydroxides react slowly with
warm, dilute acids
 Forms salt and water.

sulphuric acid + copper oxide copper sulphate + water

8
 Uses of Acids
 Most important industrial acid:
sulphuric acid
 Used mainly to manufacture
agricultural fertilisers
 Fertiliser: ammonium sulphate
 Formed by reacting sulphuric acid
with ammonia

9
 Uses of Acids
 Sulphuric acid is also used to manufacture of
detergents, paints, dyes, artificial fibres and plastics.
 Dilute sulphuric acid is used in vehicle batteries.
 Hydrochloric acid and sulphuric acid are used to
remove rust, which consists of iron (III) oxide.

A car battery
10
 Bases
 Bases are the oxides or hydroxides of metals.
 E.g.: copper (II) oxide, sulphur dioxide, sodium
hydroxide
 Some bases are insoluble.
 E.g.: copper (II) oxide cannot dissolve in water
 Some bases are soluble. They are known as alkalis
 E.g.: sodium hydroxide

ALL ALKALIS ARE BASES, BUT

NOT ALL BASES ARE ALKALIS
11
 Laboratory Alkalis
3 common laboratory alkalis:
 Sodium hydroxide, NaOH

 Calcium hydroxide, Ca(OH)2

 Aqueous ammonia, NH3 (or NH4OH)

12
 Physical Properties of
Alkalis
 Alkalis feel slippery.
 Alkalis are hazardous:
 Concentrated sodium hydroxide and potassium
hydroxide are corrosive. They are also known as caustic
alkalis.
 Dilute alkalis are irritants.
 Alkalis change the colour of indicators:
 Turns red litmus blue

13
 Chemical Properties of
Alkalis
Alkalis react with acids
 Also known as the neutralization reaction
 It is the reaction between an acid and a base to form
salt and water only.

acid + base (or alkali) salt + water

nitric acid + sodium hydroxide sodium nitrate + water

14
 Chemical Properties of
Alkalis
Alkalis react with ammonium compounds
 Heating alkali with a solid ammonium compound will
produce ammonia gas.
 Test: Use damp red litmus paper
 Observation: Litmus paper turns blue

ammonium chloride + sodium hydroxide sodium chloride + ammonia + water

15
 Applications of
Neutralization
Controlling pH of the soil
 Plants need soil of a suitable pH to grow well.
 If the soil is too acidic, farmers add bases
 e.g. calcium oxide (quicklime) or calcium hydroxide
(slaked lime)

16
 Applications of
Neutralization
Controlling pH of the soil
 If soil is too alkaline,
farmers add compost
 Consists of rotting plant
material
 As it decomposes, the
plants give off carbon
dioxide
 Dissolves in soil water to
form carbonic acid

17
 Applications of
Neutralization
Treatment of indigestion
 Gastric juices contain hydrochloric acid for digestion.
 Overeating can cause the stomach to produce too
much acid, causing indigestion.
 To relieve the pain, the acid is neutralized with a
medicine containing mild alkali.

18
 Applications of
Neutralization
Treatment of indigestion
 An example of mild alkali is magnesium hydroxide.

magnesium hydroxide + hydrochloric acid 

 Magnesium hydroxide is an example of an antacid.

 Antacids can also contain aluminium hydroxide,
magnesium carbonate and calcium carbonate.

19
 Applications of
Neutralization
Toothpaste
 Bacteria in our mouths can feed on food particles,
thus releasing acid.
 Acid corrodes our teeth, causing tooth decay.
 Toothpastes are alkaline, commonly containing
magnesium hydroxide.

20
 Uses of Alkalis
Apart from neutralization, alkalis can also be used to
dissolve grease
 Soaps and detergents contain mild (weak) alkali.
 Floor and oven cleaners contain sodium hydroxide, a
strong alkali
 Ammonia is used in glass cleaners.

21
Acidity and Alkalinity -
pH

pH
small caps big caps

pH is the measure of the

acidity or alkalinity of a solution

22
 Acidity and Alkalinity -
pH

 The pH scale ranges from 1 to 14.

 pH 7  neutral
 E.g. pure water
 pH < 7  acidic
 pH > 7  alkaline
23
pH of Common
Substances

24
 Measuring pH
Using Universal Indicator
 Consists of a mixture of indicators.
 Can come in solution form or pH paper.
 Disadvantage: gives approximate pH
values

25
 Measuring pH
Using Universal Indicator
 When the paper is dipped into solution, it gives
different colours at different pH values. The pH is
found by comparing the colour obtained with a colour
chart.

26
 Measuring pH
Using a pH meter
 Advantage: gives accurate pH values
 How to use:
 Dip a probe into the solution
 The meter shows the pH
 Can be a scale or a digital display
 Some are small and portable

27
 pH Sensor and
Computer
 A pH sensor can be connected to
a computer.
 The pH reading will be displayed
on the computer screen.
 Dataloggers are portable
computers with attached pH
sensors to measure pH values
outside the laboratory.

28
 Other Indicators
 Some indicators do not give pH values. They can only
show if the substance is acid or alkaline.
 There are 3 common indicators:

indicator colour in acids colour in alkalis

phenolphthalein colourless pink

methyl orange red yellow

litmus red blue

29
 Using Litmus Paper
Question!
A solution is tested with a piece of red litmus paper and
the paper stays red. Meiling says the solution is acidic.
Liyana says that to be sure, the solution should also be
tested with blue litmus paper. Who is correct?

30
 Importance of pH
pH and the body
 Substances in the body have different pH values.
 In the digestive system, the following are needed for
good digestion:
 Acidic conditions in the stomach (pH ~ 1.5)
 Alkaline conditions in the small intestine (pH ~ 8.4)
 Blood going to the heart and lungs contains carbon
dioxide, which makes the blood slightly acidic.

31
 Importance of pH
pH and food preservation
 Many fresh foods spoil because of bacteria present in the
food.
 Bacteria do not grow well in solutions of low pH.
 Acids are thus used to preserve foods.
 Ethanoic acid (vinegar) used to preserve vegetables
 Benzoic acid is used in fruit juices, oyster sauce and jams.
 Citric acid is used as preservative and flavouring.

32
 Importance of pH
pH in the garden
 Most plants grow best when soil is about pH 5.6.
 Some plants grow well in more extreme pH:
 Orchids prefer acidic soil (pH 4 - 5)
 Common vegetables e.g. beans and peas prefer neutral soil
(pH 6 – 8)
 Water lilies prefer alkaline soil (pH 8 - 9)

Pink hydrangea Blue hydrangea

grown in alkaline soil grown in acidic soil 33
 Importance of pH
pH and hair
 Normal hair is weakly acidic (~ pH 5)
 Alkaline solutions make hair curly.
 When perming hair, alkaline solutions are used.
 Alkaline solutions can damage hair by causing it to
become weaker and easier to break.

34
 Importance of pH
pH and hair
 To clean hair, shampoo is used.
It is alkaline to dissolve grease
present in hair.
 Shampoos must always be
rinsed after used.
 Hair conditioners contain weak
acids to restore the pH of hair
to its normal value.

35