ACIDS AND BASES

• ACIDS :
-To state the meaning of acids , give examples and write the chemical equations and observations for
the reaction of acids :
i.with carbonates
ii with metals
iii.with bases
• BASES/ALKALIS :
-To state the meaning of bases and to correlate bases with alkali
-To write the chemical equations involving alkalis with acids and with ammonium salts.

• THE ROLE OF WATER IN ACIDS AND ALKALIS:

- To explain why the acid and alkali properties are shown in the presence of water.
- To explain why the acid and alkali properties do not show in the absence of water or non-
water solvent.

• pH CONCEPT:
- To state the meaning of pH.
- To correlate the pH value with the concentrations of H+ ion for acids and OH- ion for alkalis.

STRONG/WEAK ACIDS AND

STRONG/WEAK ALKALIS :
- To list the examples and equations for the ionization of strong/weak acids and strong /weak
alkalis.
- To correlate the pH value with the strength of acids/ alkalis.
• BASICITY OF ACIDS :
-To state the meaning of basicity of an acid and to write equations for the ionization of monobase
and dibase acids.

• ACIDS AND ALKALIS CONCENTRATION:

- To state the meaning of concentration in g dm –3 and mole dm-3.
- To state the meaning of standard solution and to describe the preparation of standard solution.
- To solve various problems with calculations related to the preparation of standard solution
using n =MV/1000
• NEUTRALISATION REACTION OF ACIDS
AND ALKALIS
- To discribe the titration of acids with alkalis and to calculate acid/alkali
concentrations if a standard solution is given.
- To state the types of indicators used and the colour change at the end-point .

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 Chapter 7 : ACIDS AND ALKALIS
7.1 Definition of acid and alkali

a. Acid : Chemical compounds that dissolve in water to produce hydrogen ions.

H 2O
HCI H + (aq) + CI-(aq)
H2O
H2 SO4 2H+(aq) + SO42-(aq)

CH3 COOH CH3 COO- (aq) + H+ (aq)

b.
Alkali : Chemical compounds that dissolve in water to produce hydroxide ions.

KOH (s) K+ (aq) + OH- (aq)

NaOH (s) Na+ (aq) + OH- (aq)

7.2 Properties of acids and alkalis.

a. Acid - Tastes sour and turns moist blue litmus to red.
b. Chemical properties
(i) Reaction with metals that are more electropositive than hydrogen in the electrochemical series to
produce salt and hydrogen gas :
Acid + Metal → Salt + Hydrogen
Example: Zn + 2HCI  Zn Cl2 +H2
Mg + 2HNO3 Mg(NO3) 2+ H2
Observation :
Gas test :

Reaction with metallic carbonates produces salt, water and carbon dioxide:

Acid + Metallic Carbonate → Salt + Water + Carbon dioxide

Example: CuCO3 + 2HNO3  Cu(NO3)2 + H2O + CO2

Observation :
Gas test :

(iii) Reaction with bases produces salt and water :

Acid + Base/alkali  Salt+ Water
Example: Zn O + H2SO4Zn SO4 +H2O

b. Alkali - Tastes bitter , slippery and turns moist red litmus to blue
Chemical properties
(i) Reaction with acids and alkalis / bases produces salt and water.
Example : NaOH + HCI NaCI + H2O

(ii) Reaction with ammonium salts produces ammonia gas.

Example: NH4+ + OH- NH3(g) + H2O
Activity 1
A) Write the chemical formula for the following compounds:

1: hydrochloric acid: 17: sodium oxide :

2: nitric acid : 18: magnesium oxide :
3: sulphuric acid : 19: calcium oxide:
4: ethanoic acid: 20: copper (II) oxide :
5: sodium hydroxide : 21: lead (II) oxide :
6: potassium hydroxide: 22: sodium nitrate:

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 7: calcium hydroxide : 23: potassium sulphate :
8: barium hydroxide : 24: sodium carbonate :
9: magnesium hydroxide : 25: sodium chloride:
10: ammonium hydroxide : 26: magnesium :
11: hydroxonium ion 27: zinc
12: hydroxide ion; 28: sodium :
13: hydroxyl ion: 29: carbon dioxide :
14: sodium carbonate : 30: hydrogen gas:
15: calcium carbonate: 31: water:
16: copper (II) carbonate 32: magnesium nitrate :
B) WRITE THE CHEMICAL EQUATIONS FOR THE REACTIONS BELOW
1: Hydrochloric acid and zinc oxide :

2: Hydrochloric acid and sodium hydroxide

3: Hydrochloric acid and magnesium ribbon

4: Hydrochloric acid and sodium carbonate:

5: Sulphuric acid and zinc powder:

6: Sulphuric acid and zinc oxide:

7: Sulphuric acid and zinc carbonate:

8: Nitric acid and copper (II) oxide:

9: Nitric acid and sodium hydroxide:

10: Nitric acid and aluminium powder:

11. Nitric acid and copper (II) carbonate

12 : Ethanoic acid and magnesium ribbon:

13: Ethanoic acid and calcium carbonate:

14: Ethanoic acid and sodium hydroxide:

15: Ethanoic acid and sodium oxide:

7.3 The role of water in determining the properties of acids and alkalis:
a. The role of water in determining the properties of acids:
i. Acids in the absence of water or in other solvents:
- does not show acid properties
- acids remain in the form of molecules
- no free mobile hydrogen ions
- no acid properties Draw molecules of hydrochloric acid in the
absence of water

ii. In the presence of water :

- Molecules in acids will ionise to hydrogen ions
HCl(aq) → H+ + Cl-
- The presence of hydrogen ions are the causes the acid

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 properties to show.

Draw H+ ion and Cl- ion in water

b. The role of water in determining properties of alkalis

i. In the presence of water , an alkali dissolves and ionises to produce hydroxide ions.
H 2O
KOH K+(aq) + OH- (aq)

ii. In the absence of water or in organic solvents, no free mobile hydroxide ions are produced, so the
alkaline properties are not shown.

7.4 pH Concept
a. pH is a scale of numbers to measure the degree of acidity and alkalinity of an aqueous solution based on the
concentration hydrogen ions, H+
b. pH scale: 0-14:

pH value : 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

More acidic Neutral More alkaline

7.5 Acids and alkalis strength

a) The strength of acids and alkalis depends on the degree of ionisation or dissociation.
b) Strong acids : Acids which dissociate completely in water produce hydrogen ions.

HCI → H + (aq) + CI-(aq)

Weak acids : Acids which ionise / dissociate partially in water produces hydrogen ions.

CH3 COOH CH3 COO- (aq) + H+ (aq)

Example:
4 HCl molecules in water 4 CH3 COOH molecules in water
H+ H+ CH3 COOH
CI- CI- CH3 COOH H+
H+ H+ H+
CI- CI- CH3 COO- CH3 COO-

All 4 molecules ionises to produce 4 Cl- Only some CH3COOH molecules ionise while others
ions and 4 H+ ions. Number of H+ ions remain as molecules. Number of H+ ions lesses.
increases .

 Due to H+ concentration in hydrochloric acid is higher than in ethanoic acid, at the same concentration , the
pH of the strong acid is lesses than the pH of the weak acid.

c) Strong alkalis : Alkalis which ionise completely in water produces hydroxide ions.

KOH (aq) K+ (aq) + OH- (aq)

Weak alkalis : Alkalis which ionise partially in water produces hydroxide ions

NH4OH(aq) NH4+ (aq) + OH-(aq)

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  At the same concentration, the pH value of a weak alkali is more_______________than a strong alkali
because the concentration of its hydroxide ions is more _______________. This is because a weak alkali
ionises ____________but a strong alkali ionises____________.
ACTIVITY 2
1. Explain the definitions below and give examples .

a. Acid : ___________________________________________________________________________

b. Base : ____________________________________________________________________________

c. Alkali :___________________________________________________________________________

d. Metallic oxide :_____________________________________________________________________

e. Non-metallic oxide :________________________________________________________________

f. Amphoteric oxide:__________________________________________________________________

g. pH : _____________________________________________________________________________

h. Strong acid :_________________________________________________________________________

i. Weak acid :________________________________________________________________________

j. Strong alkali :________________________________________________________________________

k. Weak alkali :_______________________________________________________________________

2. What is the correlation between pH and hydrogen ion concentration in a strong acid and a weak acid?

3. What is the correlation between pH and hydroxide ion concentration in a strong alkali and a weak alkali?

4. Write the ionisation equations in water for:

a. sulphuric acid :

b. hydrochloric acid:

c. nitric acid:

d. ethanoic acid:

e. sodium hydroxide :

f. potassium hydroxide:

g. barium hydroxide:

h. ammonium hydroxide:

5. Define the following :

a. Acid basicity :________________________________________________________________________

b. Monobase acid :_______________________________________________________________________

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 c. Dibase acid :________________________________________________________________________

d.Tribase acid :__________________________________________________________________________

7.6 Acid and alkali concentration

a. Concentration – Themeasurement of substance dissolved in an amount of solvent
b.2 ways of measuring :
i. Total mass in 1 dm3 solvent = Mass of substance in gram
Volume of solvent in dm3
Unit : g dm-3

ii. Number of moles in 1 dm3 = Number of moles of substance

Volume of solvent in dm3 n = number of moles of substance
Unit :mole dm -3 M=Concentration in mol dm-3 (molarity)
Formula : n= MV V= volume in cm3
1000

Mole dm-3 g dm-3

c. pH of substance solution depends on :

i. Degree of dissosiation (strength)
ii. Molarity(concentration in mol dm-3 )

d. Preparation of standard solution :

Standard solution is a solution of known concentration
Exp ………….. page……………..

e. Dilution acid/alkali :

M1 V1= M2 V2 -M1 – Molarity before dilution

-V1 – Volume before dilution
-M2 – Molarity after dilution
-V2 – Volume after dilution

7. Neutralisation :

a. Neutralisation is the reaction between an acid and a base to form salt and water
Example :

HCI + NaOH → NaCI + H2O

2HNO3 + MgO → Mg (NO3)2 + H2O

b. At neutralisation point, all H+ ions from the acid are neutralized by OH- ions from the alkali or vice-versa . pH of
the titration product is 7 (neutral).

c. Tittration process-A method to determine the degree of neutralisation between acid and alkali .
i. The volume of alkali is fixed , put in a conical flask and added a few drops of indicator.
ii. Another solution of acid is dropped from a buret until the end -point is reached.

d. Two ways to determine the end –point:

i. Using an indicator
ii. Using electric conductivity

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e. The steps in determining the degree of neutralisation:
S1 Write the balanced equation.
S2 The information from the question given above the equation.

S3 Write the information from the chemical equation below the equation (information in relations to the
number of moles of substances involved)
S4 Change the information to mole
S5 Use the relationship between the number of moles of the substances in S3

OR

MaVa = a Ma = acid concentration , Mb = alkali concentration

MbVb b a = coefficient of acid in the balanced equation
b = coefficient of alkali in the balanced equation

ACTIVITY 3

1. Concentration of solution :___________________________________________________________________

2. Molarity :_________________________________________________________________________
3. Standard solution:_______________________________________________________________________

Name 3 main indicators and state the colour change in acid , neutral and alkali solutions
Indicator
name Colour
Acid Neutral Alkali
Litmus paper
Methyl orange
phenolphthalein
Universal
Indicator

4. State 2 units for the concentration of solution ?

(a)

(b)