GENERAL CHEMISTRY

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Acids and Bases

Acids: Taste sour, dissolve some metals, cause plant dye to change color Bases: Taste bitter, are slippery, are corrosive Two theories that help us to understand the chemistry of acids and bases
1. Arrhenius Theory 2. Brnsted-Lowry Theory

Arrhenius Theory of Acids and Bases

Acid - a substance, when dissolved in water, dissociates to produce hydrogen ions
Hydrogen ion: H+ also called protons

HCl is an acid: HCl(aq) H+(aq) + Cl-(aq)

Arrhenius Theory of Acids and Bases

Base - a substance, when dissolved in water, dissociates to produce hydroxide ions NaOH is a base NaOH(aq) Na+(aq) + OH-(aq)

Arrhenius Theory of Acids and Bases

Where does NH3 fit?
When it dissolves in water it has basic properties but it does not have OH- ions in it

Brnsted-Lowry Theory of Acids and Bases

Acid - proton donor Base - proton acceptor

Brnsted-Lowry Theory of Acids and Bases

HCl(aq) + H2O(l) Cl-(aq) + H3O+(aq)
acid bas e

What donated the proton? HCl

Is it an acid or base? Acid

What accepted the proton? H2O

Is it an acid or base? Base

Brnsted-Lowry Theory of Acids and . Bases

NH3(aq) + H2O(l)
base acid

NH4+(aq) + OH-(aq)

NH3 accept a proton. It is a Base. Water is the Acid.

Strong Acids and Bases

Strong Acids:
HCl, HBr, HI Strong acids and bases reaction with HNO3 H2SO4 water is virtually HClO4 100% (Strong Strong Bases: electrolytes)

NaOH, KOH, Ba(OH)2 All metal hydroxides

 Weak Acid or Base: It does not dissociate 100% Weak acids and bases only a small percent dissociates (Weak electrolytes)
Acetic acid:
CH3COOH(aq) + H2O(l) CH3COO-(aq) + H3O+(aq)
HCO3-(aq) + H3O+(aq)

Weak Acids

Carbonic Acid:
H2CO3(aq) + H2O(l)

Ammonia:
NH3(aq) + H2O(l) NH4+(aq) + OH-(aq)

Conjugate Acids and Bases

HA + B
acid base

A- + HB+
Conj. Conj. base acid

Conjugate Acid what the base becomes after it accepts a proton. Conjugate Base what the acid becomes after it donates its proton Conjugate Acid-Base Pair the acid and base on the opposite sides of the equation

Acid-Base Practice
Write the chemical reaction for the following acids or bases in water. Identify the conjugate acid base pairs. 1. HF (a weak acid) 2. H2S (a weak acid) 3. HNO3 (a strong acid) 4. CH3NH2 (a weak base)

Acid-Base Properties of Water

Water possesses both acid and base properties
Amphiprotic a substance possessing both acid and base properties HCl(aq) + H2O(l) Cl-(aq) + H3O+(aq)

NH3(aq) + H2O(l) NH4+(aq) + OH-(aq) H2O(l) + H2O(l) H3O+(aq) + OH-(aq)

The Dissociation of Water

Pure water is virtually 100% molecular Very small number of molecules dissociate
Dissociation of acids and bases is often called ionization

H2O(l) + H2O(l)
Called autoionization Very weak electrolyte

H3O+(aq) + OH-(aq)

Hydronium Ion
H3O+ is called the hydronium ion In pure water at room temperature:
[H3O+] = 1 10-7 M [OH-] = 1 10-7 M What is the equilibrium expression for:

H2O(l) + H2O(l)

H3O+(aq) + OH-(aq)
-

K w [H3O ][OH ]
Remember, liquids are not included in equilibrium expressions

pH: A Measurement Scale for Acids and Bases

pH scale a scale that indicates the acidity or basicity of a solution
Ranges from 0 (very acidic) to 14 (very basic)

The pH of a solution is defined as: pH = -log[H3O+] pOH = -log[OH-] pH + pOH = 14

Calculating pH from Acid Molarity

What is the pH of a 1.0 10-4 M HCl solution?

HCl is a strong acid and dissociates in water

Calculating [H3O+] from pH

What is the [H3O+] of a solution with pH = 4.00?

Calculating the pH of a Base

What is the pH of a 1.0 10-3 M KOH solution? KOH is a strong base (as are any metal hydroxides)

Calculating [OH-] from pH

What is the [OH-] of a solution with pH = 4.95?

The pH Scale

The Importance of pH and pH Control

Any change that takes place in aqueous solution generally has at least some pH dependence
Agriculture crops grow best in soil with proper pH Physiology blood pH shift of 1 pH is fatal Acid Rain lowers pH of water in aquatic systems causing problems for native fishes Municipal services sewage treatment and water purification require optimal pH Industry many processes require strict pH control for cost-effective production

Neutralization Reactions
The reaction of an acid with a base to produce a salt and water HCl(aq) + NaOH(aq) NaCl(aq) + H2O(l) Break apart into ions: H+ + Cl- + Na+ + OH- Na+ + Cl- + H2O Net ionic equation
Acid Base Salt Water

Show only the changed components Omit any ions appearing the same on both sides of equation = Spectator Ions

H+ + OH- H2O or H3O+(aq) + OH-(aq) 2H2O(l)

This equation applies to any strong acid / strong base neutralization reaction

Acid-Base Buffers
Buffer solution - solution which resists large changes in pH when either acids or bases are added These solutions are frequently prepared in laboratories to maintain optimum conditions for chemical reactions Buffers are also used routinely in commercial products to maintain optimum conditions for product behavior

The Buffer Process

Buffers act to establish an equilibrium between a conjugate acid base pair Buffers consist of either
a weak acid and its salt (conjugate base) a weak base and its salt (conjugate acid) CH3COOH(aq) + H2O(l) CH3COO-(aq) + H3O+(aq) Acetic acid (CH3COOH) with sodium acetate (CH3COONa)

An equilibrium is established in solution between the acid and the salt anion