Acids and Bases

Lactic acid Citric acid

Common household
Stearic acid
acids
Ethanoic acid

Acetylsailicylic
Acid
Common laboratory acids

 Hydrochloric acid - HCl

 Nitric acid - HNO3
 Sulfuric acid - H2SO4
 Phosphoric acid - H3PO4
Arrhenius theory of acid

 Arrhenius was a Sweedish

chemist
 Put forward a theory of
acids in the 1880’s
 Stated that:
An acid is a substance that dissociates
in water to form H+ ions.
Arrhenius theory of acid

For example: when HCl is added to

water:
HCl H+ + Cl-

In general:
HA H+ + A-
 Acids
 HCl and HNO3 are monobasic acids as they donate
one H+ ion.
HNO3 H+ + NO3-

 H2SO4 is a dibasic acid as it donates two H+ ions.

H2SO4 2H+ + SO42-

 H3PO4 is a tribasic acid as it donates three H+ ions.

H3PO4 3H+ + PO43-
 A strong acid is one which dissociates fully
in water

Example: HCl, H2SO4, HNO3

HCl + H2O H3O+ + Cl-

 A weak acid is one which does not fully

dissociate in water

Example: CH3COOH (ethanoic acid)

CH3COOH + H2O H3O+ + CH3COO-
Magnesium
hydroxide Ammonia

Common household
bases
Sodium
hydroxide

Calcium hydroxide

Sodium hydrogen carbonate

Common laboratory bases

 Sodium hydroxide - NaOH

 Calcium hydroxide - Ca(OH)2
 Ammonia - NH3
 Sodium carbonate - Na2CO3
Arrhenius theory of bases
 Arrhenius defined a base as:
A substance that dissociates in water to
produce OH- ions.

 For example: when NaOH is added to water:

NaOH Na+ + OH-

 In general:
XOH X+ + OH-
 A strong base is one which dissociates
fully in water

Example: NaOH

 A weak base is one which does not

fully dissociate in water

Example: Mg(OH)2
Arrhenius theory

 Combining:
HA H+ + A-

XOH X+ + OH-

we get:
HA + XOH AX + H2O
acid + base salt + water
Limitations of Arrhenius theory

1. The acids and bases must be in aqueous

solutions (i.e. water). This prevents the use of
other solvents benzene.
2. Not all acid – base reactions are in solution, e.g.
ammonia gas and hydrogen chloride gas produce
ammonium chloride.
3. According to Arrhenius, the salt produced should
not be acidic or basic. This is not always the
case, for example in the above reaction
ammonium chloride is slightly acidic
 Hydronium Ion
 Arrhenius thought that an acid gives off H+ ions
in solution.
 H+ ions are protons and can not exist
independently.
 When the acid dissociates, the H+ ions react
with water molecules:
H + + H 2O H 3O+
 The H3O+ ion is called the hydronium ion.
 This is another limitation of the Arrhenius
theory.
 Brønsted-Lowry Theory

 In 1923, Johannes Brønsted (a Danish

chemist) and Thomas Lowry (an English
chemist) proposed new definitions of acids
and bases.

Brønsted Lowry
 Brønsted-Lowry Theory

 Brønsted and Lowry had worked

independently of each other but they both
arrived at the same definitions:

An acid is a substance that donates protons

(hydrogen ions).

A base is a substance that accepts protons.

 Acid = Proton Donor
Donates a Proton

HCl + H2O H3O+ + Cl-

Accepts a Proton

 The HCl donates a proton and so is an acid

 The H2O, in this case, accepts a proton and so is a
base
Remember: Proton = H+
Likewise:
 HNO3 + H2O H3O+ + NO3-

and

 H2SO4 + H2O H3O+ + HSO4-

 HSO4- + H2O H3O+ + SO4-2

 Base = Proton Acceptor
Accepts a proton

NH3 + H2O NH4+ + OH-

Donates a proton

 The NH3 accepts a proton and so is a base.

 The H2O, in this case, donates a proton and
so is an acid.
 Amphoteric

 As can be seen from the previous two

examples, water is capable of acting
as both and acid and a base.
 Any substance that can act as both an
acid and a base is said to be
amphoteric.
 Acid – Base Reaction

Acid – Donates Protons

HCl + NH3 Cl- + NH4+

Base – Accepts Protons

 Neutralisation

The reaction between an acid and

a base to produce a salt and water

A salt is formed when the

hydrogen of an acid is replaced
by a metal (or ammonium ion)
 Neutralisation
Acid + Base Salt + Water

HCl + NaOH NaCl + H2O

but since the acid and base dissociate in water
we can write:
H+ + Cl- + Na+ + OH- Na+ + Cl- + H2O
we can cancel the Na+ and Cl- on both sides
leaving:
H+ + OH- H2O
 Everyday Examples of Neutralisation

Indigestion remedies are Lime is a base that

bases that neutralise excess neutralises acid in soil
stomach acid

Toothpaste is a base
that neutralises acid in
the mouth
 Wasp stings are basic Nettle, bee and ant stings
are acidic

They can be neutralised

with vinegar or lemon They can be neutralised
juice with baking soda
Conjugate Acid-Base Pairs
 Acids and bases exist in pairs called
conjugate acid-base pairs.
 Every time an acid donates/loses a
proton, it becomes its conjugate base.

Example:
CH3COOH + H2O CH3COO- + H3O+
Acid Conjugate Base
Likewise:
 When a base accepts a proton, it
becomes its conjugate acid.

Example:
NH3 + H2O NH4+ + OH-
Base Conjugate
Acid
Examples:
Conjugate
Acid Base
H2SO4 + H2O HSO4- + H3O+
Base Conjugate
Acid

Conjugate
Acid
Base
NH3 + H2 S NH4+ + HS-
Base Conjugate
Acid