INTRODUCTION Acids, bases and salts are 3 distinctive classes of chemical compounds Important part of chemistry All substances are acidic, neutral or basic (alkaline) 3 groups of compounds are found everywhere Foods, medicines, cleaning products ACIDS Derived from latin word acidus meaning sour Two common definitions of an acid Arrhenius theory Bronsted-Lowry theory
In 1890, Arrhenius DEFINED acids as:
A substance that produces hydrogen ions (H+) when dissolved in aqueous solution HCl + H2O H+(aq) + Cl- (aq) ACIDS
Arrhenius definition useful for describing acids
in certain reactions Limited in its scope Acid must be soluble in water
Requires base to have a OH-
What if acid does not produce H+ in a reaction
or base does not have OH- group? ACIDS In 1923, Bronsted-Lowry proposed a more general theory DEFINED an acid as: a substance that donates a proton or hydrogen ion (H+) HCl + NH3 NH4+ + Cl- Physical properties of acids Acids have a sour taste e.g. vinegar Acids are corrosive Acids have a pH less than 7 Turn blue litmus paper red Turn universal indicator orange or red Conduct electricity Chemical properties of acids Acids react with bases to give salt and water i.e. neutralization NaOH + HCl NaCl + H2O Acids react with metals to give hydrogen gas Zn + H2SO4 H2 + ZnSO4 Acids react with carbonates to give carbon dioxide Na2CO3 + 2HCl 2NaCl + H2O + CO2 Release H+ ions in water solutions HCl (aq) H+ (aq) + Cl- (aq) Acidity and Water A dilute acid has lots of water and a small amount of acid A concentrated acid has lots of acid and not much water so must be handled carefully A strong acid releases lots of H+ (ionizes completely in water) A weak acid releases fewer H+ (partially ionizes in water) Acidity and Water Strong acid Acidity and Water Weak acid Acid Reactions Acid + Base Salt + Water
Acid + Metal Salt + Hydrogen
Acid + Carbonate Salt + Water +
Carbon Dioxide Hydrochloric acids (HCl) form CHLORIDE salts Nitric acid (HNO3) forms NITRATE salts Sulfuric acid (H2SO4) forms SULFATE salts Some common acids
HCl hydrochloric acid
HNO3 nitric acid H3PO4 phosphoric acid
H2SO4 sulfuric acid
CH3COOH acetic acid (Vinegar)
Uses of acids Sulphuric acid:
Manufacture of non-soapy detergents
Electrolyte in lead-car batteries
Removal of oxides from iron and steel before
galvanizing and electroplating
Nitric acid:
Manufacture of fertilizers, plastics, explosives
Uses of acids Hydrochloric acid:
aids in digestion in stomach
Acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin):
Used as an analgesic, treatment of headache
and fever
Ascorbic acid (vitamin C):
Used to prevent and treat scurvy
Found in citrus fruits e.g. lemon
BASES Chemically opposite of acids
Base DEFINED as:
a substance that can accept hydrogen
ions (protons) and neutralize an acid The reaction between an acid and a base is called NEUTRALIZATION (7pH) Neutralization always forms a salt and water
ACID + BASE SALT + WATER
BASES Bases are compounds of: Metal oxides e.g. Na2O
metal hydroxides e.g. NaOH
metal carbonates e.g. Na2CO3
metal hydrogen carbonates e.g. NaHCO3
ammonia solution e.g. NH3
a water soluble base is referred to as an ALKALI
Alkalis dissociate in water to give hydroxyl ions (OH-)
Properties of bases Feels slippery or soapy
Tastes bitter
pH of bases greater than 7
Turns red litmus paper blue
Produce OH- in water
NaOH + H2O Na+ + OH-
Family of bases Family of bases Some common bases
Calcium hydroxide Ca(OH)2
Sodium hydroxide NaOH
Sodium hydrogen carbonate NaHCO3
Magnesium hydroxide Mg(OH)2
Ammonia NH3 Uses of bases
Ammonia: Used as a cleaning agent
Preparation of nitric acid and ammonium
chloride
Sodium hydroxide: Used to make soap and detergents Uses of bases
Calcium oxide Used to make iron, concrete and cement
Magnesium hydroxide: Used in toothpaste to neutralize acid
Used in antacids to relieve indigestion
Indicators To identify whether a substance or solution is acidic or basic, indicators are used
Indicators DEFINED as:
substances that change colour in the
presence of an acid or base
two common indicators:
Litmus paper and Universal indicator Indicators RED litmus paper turns BLUE in a basic media
BLUE litmus paper turns RED in an acid media
Indicators Universal indicator shows series of colour changes
Shows different strengths of acids and bases
The stronger the acid, the lower the pH
The stronger a base, the higher the pH
Indicators Indicator Colour in acids Colour in alkalis
Phenolphthalein Colourless Pink
Methyl orange Pink Yellow
Methyl red Red Yellow
Bromothymol blue Yellow Blue
pH pH stands for potential Hydrogen
Measures the acidity and alkalinity of a solution
pH value is directly proportional to [H+] ions (for
acids) or [OH-] ions (for alkalis), pH scale ranges from 0 to 14
pH can be measured using a) pH meter and b)
pH indicator paper pH For neutral solutions, pH = 7
For acidic solutions, pH < 7
For basic solutions, pH > 7
Importance of pH Living organisms i.e. humans, plants, animals are extremely sensitive to pH
Function best at certain narrow pH range
In agriculture, the pH of the soil is monitored as certain
crops grow better in a certain pH range
rice = slightly acidic
Citrus fruits = alkaline
In medicine, certain disease are diagnosed by the pH of
urine and blood Salts a salt is DEFINED as:
An ionic compound which is formed by
neutralization reaction between an acid and a base
Ionic = Cation (+ve) + Anion (-ve)
Some salts are soluble in H2O, some are insoluble Common Salts Chemical name Common name Formula CaOCl2 Calcium oxychloride Bleaching powder Na2CO3.10H2O Sodium carbonate Washing soda decahydrate
NaHCO3 Sodium hydrogen Baking soda carbonate
NaOH Sodium hydroxide Caustic soda NaCl Sodium chloride Common salt Uses of salts Calcium oxychloride (Bleaching powder) Disinfection of water and swimming pools
Bleaching cotton and linen
Used as an oxidising agent in many chemical
industries
Ingredient in bathroom cleaners and
disinfectant sprays
Manufacture of chloroform Uses of salts Sodium carbonate decahydrate (Washing soda) Manufacture of sodium compounds e.g. borax, caustic soda
Used in glass, soap and paper manufacturing
industries
Used for softening hard water
Used as a cleaning agent and as a lab reagent
Uses of salts Sodium hydroxide (Caustic soda) Used in drain and oven cleaners
Used as a bleaching agent for fabrics
Used in the refinery of bauxite to produce
aluminium oxide Uses of salts
Sodium hydrogen carbonate
(Baking soda) Ingredient in antacids
Additive in food and drinks
Used to make baking powder
Used in soda-acid fire extinguishers
Salts Salts are either soluble or insoluble in H2O
Soluble Insoluble All Nitrates - All sulphates except --> BaSO4, CaSO4, PbSO4
PbCl2 (soluble in hot water),
All Chlorides except --> AgCl, HgCl2
Potassium, Sodium, Ammonium salts - K2CO3, Na2CO3, (NH4)2CO3 All other carbonates
