5.

1 ACIDS AND BASES

Acids
Acids are substances that release hydrogen ions, H
+
(aq), when dissolved in water. Hydrochloric
acid, sulfuric acid and nitric acid are some examples of acids.

Physical Properties
1. Acids taste sour. For instance, vinegar and lemon are both sour because they contain
ethanoic acid and citric acid respectively.
2. Acids turn blue litmus paper red.
3. Acids have pH value less than 7. The lower the pH value, the more acidic a substance is.
4. All acidic solutions can conduct electricity.


Cheinical Properties
I. They react with more reactive metals to form salt and hydrogen gas.
2. They react with carbonates to form salt, carbon dioxide and water.
3. They react with bases to form salt and water.

Reaction of acids with metals
When acids react with reactive metals, a salt and hydrogen gas are formed.


For example, when a piece of zinc metal is placed in hydrochloric acid, the following reaction
ocurs:
hydrochloric acid + zinc zinc chloride + hydrogen
2HCl (aq) + Zn (s) ZnCl
2
(aq) +H
2
(g)

H
2
gas is collected by means of upward delivery and it is identified through the extinguishing of
A burning splint together with a pop sound.
Another example is the reaction between sulfuric acid and magnesium.
sulfuric acid + magnesium magnesium sulfate + hydrogen
H
2
SO
4
(aq) + Mg (s) MgSO
4
(aq) + H
2
(g)



Take note!



Metals such as coppers silver, platinum and gold do not react with acids. These metals
are below hydrogen in the reactivity series. You will learn more about the reactivity
series in Chapter 7.
Some metals appear to have little reaction with acids even though they are considered
reactive. An example is when lead reacts with hydrochloric acid. An insoluble salt,
lead(II) chloride, is formed. This forms a layer around the remaining lead and prevents
further reaction. You will learn to distinguish between soluble and insoluble salts in
Section 5.3 of this chapter.


Reaction of acids with carbonates metal and hydrogencarbonates)
Acids react with carbonates and hydrogcncarhot1atcs to produce salt, carbon dioxide and water.
For examples nitric acid reacts with calcium carbonate (a metal carbonate) in the following
react ion:

nitric acid + calcium carbonate calcium nitrate + carbon dioxide + water
2HN0
3
(aq) + CaCO
3
(s) Ca(N0
3
)
2
(aq) + CO
2
(g) + H
2
O (1)


CO
2
is collected by means of downward delivery and it is identified by bubbling the gas through
limewater, Ca(OH)
2
(aq). A white precipitate, CaCO
3
(s), will be formed.


Other examples of acids with carbonate reactions include:

sulfuric acid + copper (II) carbonate copper(II) sulfate + carbon dioxide + water
H
2
S0
4
(aq) + CuCO
3
(s) CuSO
4
(aq) + CO
2
(g) + H
2
0 (1)

hydrochloric acid + sodium hydrogencarbonate sodium chloride + carbon dioxide
+ water.
HCl (aq) + NaHCO
3
(s) NaCI (aq) + CO2 (g) + H
2
0 (1)


Reaction of acids with bases (basic oxides and hydroxides)

Acids react with bases to form salt and water. No other products are formed. This reaction is
also known as neutralization. The solution at the end of the experiment is chemically neutral
(neither acidic nor basic). It has a pH value of about 7.
A well known example of neutralisation is the reaction between sodium hydroxide and
hydrochloric acid.

sodium hydroxide + hydrochloric acid sodium chloride + water
NaOH (aq) + HCI (aq) NaCI (aq) + H
2
0 (l)

Other examples of neutralisation include:

ammonium hydroxide + sulfuric acid ammonium sulfate + water
2NH
4
OH (aq) + H
2
S0
4
(aq) (NH
4
)2S0
4
(aq) + 2H
2
0 (I)

magnesium oxide + hydrochloric acid magnesium chloride + water
MgO (s) + 2HCl (aq) MgCI
2
(aq) + H
2
0 (I)


Take note!

The standard ionic equation for all neutralisation reactions is H
+
+ OH
-
H
2
O (I). OH
-

ions in bases react with H
+
ions in acids to produce water. The rest of the ions are spectator ions.
as through


Alkalis and Bases

Bases
A base is a metal oxide or hydroxide that reacts with an acid to form salt and water. Examples of
bases include zinc oxide, copper(II) oxide, sodium hydroxide and magnesium hydroxide.


A typical reaction of bases is the reaction of a base and an acid to form salt and water. Most
bases cannot dissolve in water. They are solids.


Alkalis Soluble Bases

There is a special group of bases that can dissolve in water. They are known as alkalis. Alkalis
are substances that produce OH
-
ions when dissolved in water.

Examples of alkalis are sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, calcium hydroxide and
ammonium hydroxide.



There are two groups of bases ---
soluble and insoluble. Bases refer
to both groups but alkalis only
refer to both groups but alkalis
only refer to soluble bases.
Physical Properties Take note!

1. Alkalis have a bitter taste and a soapy, slippery feel.
2. Alkalis can conduct electricity, like acids.
3. Unlike acids, alkalis turn red litmus paper blue.
4. Alkalis have a pH value of more than 7.


Chemical properties

1. Alkalis react with acids to form only salt and water.
2. Alkalis react with ammonium salts to give ammonia gas.
3. Alkalis react with a metal salt solution to give a new metal salt and metal hydroxide.

Reaction of alkalis with acids

This is the same reaction of acids reacting with bases, as seen earlier. When an alkali and an acid
react, a neutralisation reaction occurs. The products formed are salt and water only. All bases
are able to undergo such neutralisation reactions.

More examples of neutralisation are shown:

zinc oxide + sulfuric acid zinc sulfate + water
ZnO (s) + H
2
S0
4
(aq) ZnSO
4
(aq) + H
2
O (1)


potassium hydroxide + hydrochloric acid potassium chloride + water
KOH (aq) + HCI (aq) KC1 (aq) + H
2
O (1)

For all neutralisation reactions, the ionic equation is: H
+
(aq) + OH
-
(aq) H
2
O (1)

Reaction of alkalis with ammonium salts

Reaction between ammonia salt and alkali will produce ammonia gas, salt and water when
heated together.
An example of such a reaction is when sodium hydroxide is heated with ammonium chloride.

sodium hydroxide + ammonium chloride sodium chloride + water + ammonia
NaOH (aq) + NH
4
CI (aq) NaCI (aq) + H
2
0 (1) + NH
3
(g)







Ammonia gas can be readily detected by its pungent smell and its presence is confirmed when it
turns damp red litmus paper blue.


Another example is as shown:

calcium hydroxide + ammonium sulfate calcium sulfate + water + ammonia
Ca(OH)
2
(aq) + (NH
4
)
2
S0
4
(aq) CaSO
4
(s) + 2H
2
0 (1) + 2NH
3
(g)

Reaction of alkalis with metal salt solutions

Alkalis react with soluble metal salts to produce new metal salts and metal hydroxides. The
metal hydroxides formed are usually insoluble and will form precipitates.


An example of this reaction is:

sodium hydroxide + iron(II) sulfate sodium sulfate + iron(11) hydroxide
2NaOH (aq) + FeSO
4
(aq) Na
2
SO
4
(aq) + Fe(OH)
2
(s)


sodium hydroxide + copper(Il) sulfate sodium sulfate + copper(11) hydroxide
2NaOH (aq) + CuSO
4
(aq) Na
2
SO
4
(aq) + Cu(OH)
2
(s)




Use of bases

Base/Alkali Uses

Magnesium oxide

To make medicine for gastric pains

Sodium hydroxide

To make soaps

Calcium hydroxide

To reduce acidity in soil

Ammonium hydroxide

To make fertilisers