World of Chemistry

Chemistry 0010

Acids and Bases

Topics you should learn:

Properties of Acids and Bases

Strong and Weak Acids and Bases

Neutralization Reactions

pH

Let's contrast the difference in properties between acids and bases.

Acids Bases

Taste Sour

household vinegar (acetic acid)
lemon juice, orange juice or citrus fruit juices (citric acid)
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)
Coca-Cola (contains phosphoric acid)
Bitter

Milk of Magnesia (magnesium hydroxide)
Maalox antacid
(Magnesium hydroxide and aluminum hydroxide)

Feel concentrated acids can cause skin burn; care should be taken when handling acids concentrated bases can cause skin burn; care should be taken when handling bases;
bases often feel slippery or soapy;

Reaction to Litmus Paper turn litmus paper red turn litmus paper blue

Reactions

React with bases to form salt and water (i.e. neutralization reaction)
React with metals such as magnesium, zinc, iron to roduce hydrogen gas, H₂ (g).

React with acids to form salt and water (i.e. neutralization reaction)

Examples
car battery (sulfuric acid)
stomach acid (hydrochloric acid)
caronate water (carbonic acid)

drain cleaner, oven cleaner (sodium hydroxide)
cleaning products (ammonia solution)

	Acids	Bases
Taste	Sour household vinegar (acetic acid) lemon juice, orange juice or citrus fruit juices (citric acid) Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) Coca-Cola (contains phosphoric acid)	Bitter Milk of Magnesia (magnesium hydroxide) Maalox antacid (Magnesium hydroxide and aluminum hydroxide)
Feel	concentrated acids can cause skin burn; care should be taken when handling acids	concentrated bases can cause skin burn; care should be taken when handling bases; bases often feel slippery or soapy;
Reaction to Litmus Paper	turn litmus paper red	turn litmus paper blue
Reactions	React with bases to form salt and water (i.e. neutralization reaction) React with metals such as magnesium, zinc, iron to roduce hydrogen gas, H₂ (g).	React with acids to form salt and water (i.e. neutralization reaction)
Examples	car battery (sulfuric acid) stomach acid (hydrochloric acid) caronate water (carbonic acid)	drain cleaner, oven cleaner (sodium hydroxide) cleaning products (ammonia solution)

Read:

15-1 - Properties and Definitions of Acids and Bases (page 406)

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Strong and Weak Acids and Bases

"Strong" and "weak" refers to the ability of the acid or base to ionize in water.

Acids

"Strong" acids ionize completely in water.
Example: Hydrochloric acid, HCl, is a strong acid.

Hydrogen chloride gas reacts with water to produce hydronium ions, H₃O⁺, in solution. A solution of HCl contains entirely H₃O⁺ and Cl^- ions.
To represent this in a chemical equation, a single arrow pointing toward the ionized products is used.
"Weak" acids ionize partially in water.
Example: Acetic acid, CH₃COOH, is a weak acid.

Acetic acid does not completely ionize in water. Most of the acetic acid in solution remains un-ionized and a small fraction ionizes to form CH₃COO^- and H₃O⁺ ions.
To represent this in a chemical equation, a double arrow is used. The longer arrow pointing toward the reactants indicates that acetic acid in solution remains un-ionized.

Common Acids

Learn the names and formulae of six strong acids.

Learn the names and formulae of three weak acids.

Bases

"Strong" bases ionize completely in water.
Example: Sodium hydroxide, NaOH, is a strong base.

Sodium hydroxide reacts with water to produce hydroxide ions, OH^-, in solution. A solution of NaOH contains entirely Na⁺ and OH^- ions.
To represent this in a chemical equation, a single arrow pointing toward the ionized products is used.
"Weak" bases ionize partially in water.
Example: Ammonia, NH₃, is a weak base.

Ammonia does not completely ionize in water. Most of the ammonia in solution remains un-ionized and a small fraction ionizes to form NH₄⁺ and OH^- ions.
To represent this in a chemical equation, a double arrow is used. The longer arrow pointing toward the reactants indicates that ammonia in solution remains un-ionized.