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Acid Base and salts

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By Revolution Academy

Acids, Bases, and Salts - Class 10 Notes

1. Acids:
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Definition: Acids are substances that release hydrogen ions (H⁺) when dissolved in water.

Properties:

Sour taste (like lemon or vinegar)

Turn blue litmus paper red.

Reacts with metals to release hydrogen gas.

Reacts with bases to form salts and water (neutralization).

Examples

Hydrochloric acid (HCl)

Sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄)

Nitric acid (HNO₃)

Acetic acid (CH₃COOH)

2. Bases:

Definition: Bases are substances that release hydroxide ions (OH⁻) when dissolved in water.

Properties:

Bitter taste (like soap).

Slippery feel.

Turn red litmus paper blue.

Reacts with acids to form salts and water (neutralization).

Examples:

Sodium hydroxide (NaOH)

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Potassium hydroxide (KOH)

Calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)₂)

3. Neutralization Reaction:

Definition: A neutralization reaction occurs when an acid reacts with a base to form salt and
water.

Example:

HCl (acid) + NaOH (base) → NaCl (salt) + H₂O (water)

This reaction is exothermic, meaning it releases heat.

4. Salts:

Definition: A salt is formed when an acid reacts with a base. It consists of the positive ion
(cation) from the base and the negative ion (anion) from the acid.

Properties:

Most salts are solid and crystalline.

They are neutral (neither acidic nor basic).

Soluble salts dissolve in water to form ions.

Examples

Sodium chloride (NaCl) from HCl + NaOH.

Copper sulfate (CuSO₄) from H₂SO₄ + Cu(OH)₂.

Calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) from H₂CO₃ + Ca(OH)₂.

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6. Acids: Acids taste sour, bases taste bitter, and the compounds (salts) formed when acids react
with bases taste salty. Some salts have a very unpleasant taste and may be poisonous also.

7. Organic acids: The acids produced by plants and animals (exception hydrochloric acid) are
known as organic acids

8. Mineral acids: The acids prepared from minerals present in the earth's crust are known as
mineral acids.

9. Indicator: An indicator is a special chemical that changes its color to indicate the presence of
a chemical substance.

It is used to confirm the presence of an acid, a base or a neutral solution. Indicators show
different colors in acidic and basic medium.

These are dyes or mixtures of dyes which are used to indicate the presence of acids and bases.
Some examples are litmus solution, methyl orange, phenolphthalein and universal indicator.

There are some substances whose odors changes in acidic or basic medium. These are called
olfactory indicators.
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10. Reaction with metals: Metals react with acids to give a salt and hydrogen gas, although there
are exceptions to this. When a base reacts with a metal, alongwith the evolution of hydrogen
gas, a salt is formed which has its negative ion composed of the metal and oxygen.

Zn + H₂SO₄(dil) ZnSO4 + H₂ 2 Zinc sulfate

Zn + 2NaOH → Na, ZnO2 + H2

Sodium zincate

11. Reaction with metal carbonate or metal hydrogen carbonate: When a metal carbonate or
metal hydrogen carbonate (bicarbonate) reacts with an acid, it gives out a corresponding salt,
carbon dioxide and water.

Na, CO, (s) + 2HCl(aq) - → 2NaCl(aq) + H₂O (l) + CO, (g)

(s) + HCl(aq) NaHCO3(s) NaCl(aq) + H₂O(l) + CO₂(g)

When the carbon dioxide gas evolved is passed through lime water, it turns milky due to the
formation of calcium carbonate.

Ca(OH), (aq) + CO₂ (g) → CaCO3(s) + H2O

On passing excess carbon dioxide the milkiness disappears and the solution becomes colorless
due to the formation of soluble calcium hydrogencarbonate.

CaCO₃ (s) + H₂O(l) + CO₂(g) → Ca(HCO3), (aq)

(Soluble in water)

Acid or a base in a water solution: When acids dissolve in water, the hydrogen is released into
the solution as H + (aq) or H_{3} O^ + ions. It is H ^ (aq) or H_{3} O^ + ions that make a solution
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acidic Formation of OH ions solution is for basic nature of a substance. Ions present in some
common Acids and Bases.

8. Pure water is a neutral liquid. This is because water contains exactly the same numbers of H
and OH ions. Acid solutions containing more hydrogen ions ( H ^ + ) have a greater
concentration of hydroxide ions (OH) than water. than water. Alkaline solutions

Water and neutral solutions

Equal concentrations of H ^ + and OH.

Acid solutions

Greater concentration of H ^ + than water.

Alkaline solutions

Greater concentration of OH than water.

9. pH Scale: A scale for measuring hydrogen ion concentration in a solution is called pH scale
Higher the hydrogen ion concentration, lower is the pH value.
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pH of a solution is defined as the negative logarithm (to the base 10) of the hydrogen ion
concentration in the solution.

Role of pH in Everyday Life:

1. Human Body and Health

Blood pH: The pH of human blood is tightly regulated around 7.4. Even small deviations can
cause serious health issues. For example, a drop in pH (acidosis) can result in breathing
problems, while a rise (alkalosis) can cause muscle twitching and confusion.

Stomach pH: The stomach secretes hydrochloric acid to break down food, creating an acidic
environment with a pH of about 1.5 to 3.5. This acidity helps digest food and kill harmful
bacteria.

2. Soil and Agriculture

Plants thrive in soils with a pH between 6 and 7, which is considered neutral. If the soil becomes
too acidic (low pH) or too alkaline (high pH), it can affect nutrient availability, potentially
harming plant growth. For instance, crops like blueberries prefer acidic soil, while others like
cabbage thrive in slightly alkaline conditions.

Dilution: The process of dissolving an acid or a base in water is an highly exothermic process It
known as dilution
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The acid must always be added slowly to water with constant stirring. If water is added to a
concentrated acid, the heat generated may cause the mixture to splash out and cause burns.

the glass container may also break due to excessive local heating.

Neutralization reaction: All bases react with acids to form salt and water. This process is known
as neutralization. During neutralization the H ^ (aq) ions of an acid combined with OH ions of
base to form water while the negative ion of the acid and positive ion of the base combine to
form a salt

12. pH of Salts:

(a) The salt of a strong acid and a strong base gives a neutral solution (pH = 7)

(6) The salt of a strong acid and a weak base gives an acidic solution (pH < 7)

(c) The salt of a weak acid and a strong base gives a basic solution (pH > 7)

13. Water of crystallization: The fixed number of water molecules chemically attached to each
formula unit of a salt in its crystalline form is called water of crystallization. The salt which
contains water of crystallization are called hydrated salts. e.g., CuSO4.5H₂O.

14. Common Salt

Chemical Name: Sodium Chloride

Chemical Formula: NaCl

Preparation: Sodium chloride can be prepared in the laboratory by combination reaction of

sodium hydroxide and hydrochloric acid.

NaOH (aq) + HCl (aq) →NaCl(aq) + H₂O()

Uses: (i) It is used as a raw material for making a large number of useful chemicals in industry.

15. Caustic Soda

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