Class X

Subject: Chemistry
Chapter 2: Acids, Bases and Salts
Following Notes till Page No: 25 of Science NCERT Book
1. Acids: those substances which turn blue litmus solution red. They are sour in taste and give H+
ions in aqueous solution.
Strong acids: HCl, H2SO4, HNO3
Weak acids: CH3COOH, Oxalic acid, Lactic acid

2. Bases: those substances which change red litmus solution blue. They are bitter in taste and give
OH- ions in aqueous solution.
Strong Bases: NaOH, KOH
Weak bases: NH4OH, Al(OH)3
Soluble bases are called alkalis. eg: NaOH

3. Litmus: it is a purple dye which is extracted from a plant ‘lichen’. It is used as acid base
indicator. It is available as blue or red litmus solution.
a) Litmus
In a neutral solution – purple In acidic solution – red In basic solution – blue
Litmus is also available as strips of paper in two variants – red litmus and blue litmus.
An acid turns a moist blue litmus paper to red.
A base turns a moist red litmus paper to blue.
4. Indicators: those substances which change their colour in different types of substances.
Natural indicators are turmeric, red cabbage leaves, coloured petals of flowers like petunia.

5. Acid Base Indicators: Those substances which change their colour in acid and base are called
acid-base indicators. eg. Litmus solution

6. Synthetic Indicators: those chemical substances which change their colour in acids and bases.
eg. Methyl Orange, Phenolphthalein.
a) Methyl orange
In a neutral solution – orange ; In acidic solution – red ; In basic solution – yellow
b) Phenolphthalein
In a neutral solution – colourless; In acidic solution – remains colourless;
In basic solution – pink

7. Olfactory Indicators: those substances which have different odour in acidic and basic solutions.
eg: vanilla extract, onio
Vanilla extract and onion: retain the smell in acids
smell disappears in bases

Physical Properties of Acids and Bases

Some physical properties of acids: Some physical properties of bases:
1. They are sour. 1.They are bitter
2. They turn blue litmus red. 2.They turn red litmus blue.
3. They are corrosive in nature. 3.They are soapy in nature
Chemical Properties of Acids:
1. Acid + Metal → Salt + Hydrogen gas
e.g., 2HCl + Zn → ZnCl2 + H2

2. Reaction with Metal carbonate

Acid + Metal carbonate → Salt + CO2 + H2O
e.g., 2HCl + Na2CO3 → 2NaCl + CO2 + H2O

3. Reaction with Metal hydrogen carbonate

Acid + Metal hydrogen carbonate → Salt + CO2 + H2O
e.g. HCl + NaHCO3 → NaCl + H2O + CO2

4. Reaction with Metallic oxide

Acid + Metal oxide → Salt + Water
e.g. 2HCl + CuO → CuCl2 + H2O

5. Acids in water:
Acids produce H+ ions when dissolved in water. H+ ions cannot exist alone. They
combine with water molecule (H2O) to form H3O+ (hydronium ions). It conducts
electricity.

Chemical properties of Bases :

1. Reaction with metal
Base + Metal → Salt + H2 gas
e.g., 2NaOH + Zn → Na2ZnO2 + H2
This reaction is possible only with reactive metals like sodium and potassium.
2. Reaction with non-metallic oxide
Base + Non-metallic oxide → Salt + H2O
3. Reaction with Metal carbonate
Base + Metal carbonate → No Reaction
4. Reaction with Metal hydrogen carbonate
Base + Metal hydrogen carbonate → No Reaction
5. Bases in water → Bases produce OH– ions when dissolved in water. Bases soluble in water
are called alkalis. It conducts electricity.

Classification of Acids:
1. Depending upon the source from which they are obtained:

Organic Acid Mineral Acids

Acids present in plant and animals Acids obtained from the minerals of the
earth.
Generally weak acids Generally strong acids
Eg. Citric acid (lemon), lactic acid Eg. Hydrochloric acid, Sulphuric acid,
(milk), acetic acid (vinegar) Nitric acid

2. Depending upon the strength of acids:

Strong acid Weak acid

Acids that completely dissociates to give Acids that partially dissociates into
hydrogen ions. hydrogen ions
Eg. HCl, H2SO4 , HNO3 H2CO3
3. Depending on the basis of water content:
Concentrated Acid Dilute Acid
Contains large amount of acid and very Contains less amount of acid and large
little amount of water amount of water.

Some Common Acids and their Chemical Formula

Name of the Acid Chemical Formula
Hydrochloric acid HCl
Sulphuric acid H2SO4
Nitric acid HNO3
Acetic acid CH3COOH
Formic acid HCOOH
Carbonic acid H2CO3
Phosphoric acid H3PO4

** Acids dissociates to give H+ ions only in the presence of water. Hence, they act as acid only
in the presence of water.

Dilution of Concentrated Acids – An Exothermic Reaction

Mixing of an acid with water is called dilution. It is observed that when a concentrated acid is
diluted with water, heat is produced. Thus, dilution of an acid in water is an exothermic reaction.

How to dilute a concentrated acid?

As dilution of a concentrated acid is highly exothermic reaction. Hence, to slow down the
exothermic reaction, dilution of a concentrated acid is always done by taking sufficient amount
of water in a beaker and adding concentrated acid into slowly with stirring. Thus, we always
dilute an acid by adding into water and not water into acid.

** On dilution, the concentration of H+(aq) ions per unit volume decreases, Hence,
acidic strength decreases.

Some Common Bases :

Sodium Hydroxide: NaOH (strong base)
Potassium Hydroxide: KOH (strong base)
Calcium Hydroxide: Ca(OH)2 (weak base)
Magnesium Hydroxide: Mg(OH)2 (weak base)

Alkalis: the bases which are soluble in water and give hydroxide ions in the aqueous solution are
called alkalis. Eg: NaOH, KOH
Thus, all alkalis are bases, but all bases are not alkalis.

Neutralization Reaction: a process in which an acid reacts with a base to form salt and
water, i.e.
Acid + Base Salt + Water
Eg. HCl + NaOH NaCl + H2O

Important Points to Remember:

1. Curd and Sour Substances should not be kept in brass and copper vessels as they are acidic in
nature. If kept in copper or brass vessels, they react to form toxic compounds and make the
food stuff unfit for consumption.
 2. HCl, HNO3 etc. ionize in the aqueous solution to produce H+ ions. Hence, they show acidic
character. Compounds like alcohol and glucose do not ionize in the aqueous solution to give
H+ ions. Hence, they do not show acidic character.
3. Dry HCl gas does not ionize to produce H+ ions. Hence, it does not show acidic properties
and, therefore does not change the colour of the dry litmus paper.
4. Pop test: When a burning candle is brought near a test tube containing hydrogen gas it burns
with a ‘Pop’ sound. This test is conducted for examining the presence of hydrogen gas.
5. When an acid or a base is mixed with water, they become dilute. This results in the decrease
in the concentration of per unit volume in acids and bases respectively, i.e. no. of H+ ions and
OH- ions reduces.
6. Rainwater conducts electricity but distilled water does not as distilled water does not contain
any acid, base or salt which may dissociate to produce ions. Hence, it does not conduct
electricity. Rain water contains dissolved gases of the air like carbon dioxide, sulphur
dioxide etc. These gases dissolve in water to form acids. E.g. CO 2 dissolves in H2O form
H2CO3( carbonic acid) which dissociates to give H + (aq) ions and carbonate ions. Hence, it
conducts electricity.

Recapitulation:

** Intext questions of the topics covered to be done neatly in chemistry notebook.

Following notes continued from Page No .25 (NCERT)

PH SCALE:
 A scale for measuring hydrogen ion concentration in a solution, called as pH scale.
 The p in pH stands for ‘potenz’ in German, meaning power.
 On the pH scale we can measure pH generally from 0 (very acidic) to 14 (very alkaline).
 pH should be thought of simply as a number which indicates the acidic or basic nature of a
solution.

pH =7 Neutral Concentration of [H+] = [OH-]

pH less than 7 Acidic Concentration of [H+] more than

[OH-]

pH more than 7 Basic Concentration of [OH-] more

than [H+]

The normal pH scale ranges from 0 to 14 as given below:

Universal Indicator: In case of a colourless liquid, the accurate pH can be obtained by adding a universal
indicator. It is a mixture of several indicators and shows different colours at different concentration of
hydrogen ions in a solution. For Example:
1. A universal indicator produces green colour in a neutral solution, pH = 7.
2. The colour changes from blue to violet as pH increases from 7 to 14.
3. The colour changes from yellow to pink and then to red as pH decreases from 7 to 1.
 pH range indicate the strength of acids and bases as given below:
0-2: Strong Acid
2-4: Moderately Acidic
More Than 4: Weak Acid
At 7: Neutral
7-10: Weak Base
10-12: Moderately Basic
More Than 12: Strongly Base
Effect of pH on dilution:
In Case of Acids On Dilution: pH Increases as acidic strength decreases
In Case of Bases On Dilution: pH Decreases as basic strength decreases

Importance of pH:
1. Biological Importance: Our human body works within 7-7.8 pH.
The pH of Acid Rain is below 5.6 and this water affects aquatic life.
2. Agriculture: Plants also needs specific range of pH for survival in order to grow crops.
3. pH in our digestive system: Our stomach produces hydrochloric acid which helps in the digestion of
food without harming the stomach. Sometimes excess acid is produced in the stomach which causes
indigestion. To get rid of this pain, bases called antacids are used.
Antacids are a group of mild bases which react with the excess acid and neutralise it.
Commonly used antacids are magnesium hydroxide [Mg(OH) 2] & sodium bicarbonate[NaHCO3]
4. In Dairies: pH value of milk is adjusted at 6.6. If pH falls below 6.6, it turns sour.
5. In Tooth Decay: Tooth Decay Starts when pH of mouth falls below 5.5. At that pH, acid reacts with
Calcium Phosphate of tooth enamel and corrodes it. Tooth enamel is made up of calcium
hydroxyapatite(a crystalline form of calcium phosphate )which is the hardest substance in the
body.The bacteria present in the mouth produce acids due to the degradation of sugar and food
particles after eating. Hence, to prevent tooth decay, the mouth should be rinsed after eating food and
toothpastes which are basic should be used cleaning teeth to neutralise the excess acid.
6. Self-defence by animals and plants through chemical warfare:
 Bee-sting leaves an acid which causes pain and irritation. Use of a mild base like baking soda on
the stung area gives relief.
 Stinging hair of nettle leaves inject methanoic acid causing burning pain.

Salts:
Salts are the ionic compounds which are produced after the neutralization reaction between an acid and a
base. Salts are electrically neutral. There are number of salts but sodium chloride is the most common
among them. Sodium chloride is also known as table salt or common salt. Sodium chloride is used to
enhance the taste of food.

Families of Salts:

Salts having common acidic or basic radicals are said to belong to same family.

Example: 1. the salts which are formed by reaction of hydrochloric acid (HCl) with any base are called
chlorides.

e.g. Sodium chloride (NaCl) and Calcium chloride (CaCl2) belong to chloride family.

2. the salts which are formed by reaction of nitric acid (HNO3) with any base are called nitrates. E.g.
sodium nitrate (NaNO3) and potassium nitrate (KNO3) belong to nitrate family.

3. the salts which are formed by reaction of sulphuric acid (H 2SO4) with any base are called sulphates. e.g.
copper sulphate (CuSO4) and calcium sulphate (CaSO4) belong to sulphate family.
4. the salts which are formed by reaction of carbonic acid (H 2CO3) with any base are called carbonates. e.g.
sodium carbonate (Na2CO3) and magnesium carbonate (MgCO3) belong to carbonate family.

Acidic, Basic and Neutral Salts

Neutral Salt: Salts produced because of reaction between strong acid and strong base are neutral in nature.
The pH value of such salts is equal to 7, i.e. neutral. Example; Sodium chloride, sodium sulphate,
potassium chloride, etc.

Sodium chloride (NaCl) is formed after the reaction between hydrochloric acid (a strong acid) and sodium
hydroxide (a strong base).

NaOH + HCl ⇨ NaCl + H2O

Sodium sulphate (Na2SO4): It is formed after the reaction between sodium hydroxide (a strong base) and
sulphuric acid (a strong acid).

2NaOH + H2SO4 ⇨ Na2SO4 + 2H2O

Potassium chloride (KCl): It is formed after the reaction between potassium hydroxide (a strong base)
and hydrochloric acid (a strong acid).

KOH + HCl ⇨ KCl + H2O

Acidic salt:

Salts which are formed after the reaction between a strong acid and weak base are called acidic salt. The
pH value of acidic salt is lower than 7. Example: ammonium sulphate, ammonium chloride, etc.

Ammonium chloride is formed after reaction between hydrochloric acid (a strong acid) and ammonium
hydroxide (a weak base).

NH4OH + HCl ⇨ NH4Cl + H2O

Ammonium sulphate is formed after reaction between ammonium hydroxide (weak base) and sulphuric
acid (a strong acid).

2NH4OH + H2SO4 ⇨ (NH4 )2SO4 + 2H2O

Basic Salt: Salts which are formed after the reaction between weak acid and strong base are called basic
salt. For example; sodium carbonate, sodium acetate, etc.

Sodium carbonate is formed after the reaction between sodium hydroxide (a strong base) and carbonic acid
(a weak base).

H2CO3 + 2NaOH ⇨ Na2CO3 + 2H2O

Sodium acetate is formed after the reaction between a strong base, sodium hydroxide and a weak acid,
acetic acid.

CH3COOH + NaOH ⇨ CH3COONa + H2O

Cause of formation of acidic, basic and neutral salt:

 When a strong acid reacts with a weak base, the base is unable to fully neutralize the acid. Due to
this an acidic salt is formed in this case.
 When a strong base reacts with a weak acid, the acid is unable to fully neutralize the base. Due to
this a basic salt is formed in this case.
 When equally strong acid and base react they fully neutralize each other. Due to this a neutral salt is
formed in this case.

pH value of salt:

 Neutral salt: The pH value of a neutral salt is almost equal to 7.

 Acidic salt: The pH value of an acidic salt is less than 7.
 Basic salt: The pH value of a basic salt is more than 7.

Sodium chloride is called as common salt. It is obtained from evaporation of sea water.
Crude sodium chloride is obtained by crystallization of ‘brine‘ that contains sodium sulphate, calcium sulphate,
calcium chloride and magnesium chloride as impurities. Pure sodium chloride is obtained from the crude salt by
dissolving it in minimum amount of water and filtering it to remove insoluble impurities.
Rock Salt is mined like coal, is brown coloured and crystalline in shape.

Uses of common salt:

1. is important raw material for many materials like sodium hydroxide, washing soda, bleaching powder
2. used in our food as a preservative and provides flavour to food,
3. used in industries.

a.Sodium Hydroxide : Sodium hydroxide is produced by the electrolysis of an aqueous solution of sodium
chloride (called brine).
The process is called the chlor-alkali process because of the products formed, i.e. ‘chlor’ for chlorine
and ‘alkali’ for sodium hydroxide.
2NaCl(aq) + 2H2O(aq) → 2NaOH(aq) + H2(g) + Cl2(g)

Uses of products after the electrolysis of brine:

 Hydrogen gas is used as fuel, margarine, in making of ammonia for fertilizer, etc.
 Chlorine gas is used in water treatment, manufacturing of PVC, disinfectants, CFC, pesticides. It is
also used in manufacturing of bleaching powder and hydrochloric acid.
 Sodium hydroxide is used for de-greasing of metals, manufacturing of paper, soap, detergents,
artificial fibres, bleach, etc.
b.Bleaching Powder: Chemical name: Calcium oxychloride
Chemical formula: CaOCl2
Bleaching powder is manufactured from chlorine gas.
It is produced by the action of chlorine on dry slaked lime Ca(OH) 2.
Ca(OH)2 + Cl2 → CaOCl2 + H2O
It is represented as CaOCl2 (calcium oxychloride)

Uses: 1. For bleaching cotton and linen in the textile industry.

2. For bleaching wood pulp in the paper industry.
3. Used for disinfecting drinking water to make it free of germs.

c.Washing Soda: Chemical name: Sodium carbonate decahydrate

Chemical formula: Na2CO3.10H2O
Sodium hydrogen carbonate, on heating decomposes to give sodium carbonate with the release of
hydrogen gas.
2NaHCO3 Na2CO3 + H2O + CO2
Re-crystallization of sodium carbonate produces washing soda.

Na2CO3 + 10H2O Na2CO3. 10H2O

Uses 1. used in glass, soap and paper industries.
2. employed in the manufacture of sodium compounds such as borax.

The Solvay process is used in the manufacturing of Sodium Carbonate with the help of
Step 1 – Ammoniacal Brine (NaCl, NH3, H2O) is made to react with carbon dioxide to obtain sodium
hydrogen carbonate.
NaCl + NH3 + H2O +CO2 → NH4Cl +NaHCO3

Step 2 – The obtained Sodium Hydrogen Carbonate is then heated to get Sodium Carbonate.
2NaHCO3 ——Δ—→ Na2CO3 +H2O +CO2

Step 3 – The recrystallization of sodium carbonate is done by dissolving it into water to obtain washing
soda.
Na2CO3 + 10H2O → Na2CO3.10H2O

d.Baking soda: It is produced on a large scale by treating cold and concentrated solution of sodium
chloride (brine) with ammonia and carbon dioxide.
NaCl + H2O + CO2 + NH3 → NH4Cl + NaHCO3
On heating, it decomposes to give sodium carbonate with the evolution of carbon
dioxide.
2NaHCO3 Na2CO3 + H2O + CO2
Uses: 1. Used as an antacid to treat acidity of the stomach.
2. Used to make baking powder, which is used in preparation of cakes, breads, etc.
3. Used in soda-acid fire extinguishers.
Baking powder produces carbon dioxide on heating, so it is used in cooking to make the batter spongy.
Although baking soda also produces carbon dioxide on heating, but it is not used in cooking because on
heating; baking soda produces sodium carbonate along with carbon dioxide. The sodium carbonate; thus
produced; makes the taste bitter.
2NaHCO3 + heat ⇨ Na2CO3 + CO2 + H2O

Baking powder is the mixture of baking soda and a mild edible acid. Generally, tartaric acid is
mixed with baking soda to make baking powder.
When baking powder (mixture of baking soda and an edible acid) is heated, the sodium carbonate formed
because of heating of baking soda neutralizes after reacting with tartaric acid and sodium tartarate salt is
formed.

Water of Crystallisation:
Water of crystallisation is the fixed number of water molecules present in one formula unit of a salt.
Five water molecules are present in one formula unit of copper sulphate. Chemical formula for hydrated
copper sulphate is CuSO4. 5H2O.
One other salt, which possesses water of crystallisation is gypsum. It has two water molecules as water of
cyrstallisation. It has the formula CaSO4.2H2O.

Plaster of Paris : Chemical name - Calcium sulphate hemihydrate

Chemical Formula: CaSO4.½ H2O

On heating gypsum (CaSO4.2H2O) at 373 K, it loses water molecules and becomes calcium sulphate
hemihydrate.

This is called Plaster of Paris, the substance which doctors use as plaster for supporting fractured bones in
the right position.

Plaster of Paris is a white powder and on mixing with water, it changes to gypsum once again giving a
hard-solid mass.

CaSO4.½ H2O + 1½ H2O CaSO4.2H2O

Uses of Plaster of Paris: -

 Plaster of Paris is used for making toys, materials for decoration and
 for making surfaces smooth.
 doctors use it as plaster for supporting fractured bones in the right position.

Also can refer You Tube Links For Online Tutorial:

Points to Remember:
1.The tarnished surface of a copper vessel due to copper oxide layer (which is basic) can be cleaned by
rubbing with lemon (which is acidic).
2. The positive part of the salt which comes from the base is called basic radical whereas the negative part
of the salt which comes from the acid is called acid radical. For example, in the salt NaCl, Na+ comes
from the base, NaOH, and is the basic radical whereas Cl- which comes from the acid, HCl, is the acid
radical.
3. Chemically, caustic soda is sodium hydroxide, NaOH
4. Anhydrous sodium carbonate (Na2CO3) is called soda -ash.
5. Crystalline salts like Na2CO3.10H2O, CaSO4.2H2O etc which seem to be dry contain water of
crystallization.
6. Plaster of Paris is prepared by heating Gypsum at 100℃. Temperature is not allowed to rise above
100℃ as otherwise it gives anhydrous CaSO4, called “dead burnt plaster” which does not set with
plaster.
7. The ideal pH of soil should be close to 7 i.e., neither very acidic nor very alkaline.
8. Fresh milk has a pH of 6. When milk changes into curd, pH will decrease. This is because curd is more
acidic than milk.
9. A milkman adds a very small amount of baking soda to fresh milk. He shifts the pH of the fresh milk
from 5 to slightly alkaline. In presence of baking soda, milk becomes alkaline and does not sour easily
because the alkali does not allow the milk to become more acidic easily.
10. Plaster of Paris on gaining moisture turns to Gypsum, which sets to a hard mass. Hence, it should be
stored in moisture- proof container.
11.The acid present in ant sting is methanoic acid(HCOOH)
12. Baking soda is used in small amount in making bread and cake. Tartaric acid is added to neturalize the
sodium carbonate formed on heating (during the decomposition of NaHCO 3). If it were not added, the
cake would taste bitter due to the presence of sodium carbonate in it.

Recapitulation :
Note: Intext and Back Exercises to be done neatly in Chemistry Notebook.