CLASS 7 SCIENCE NOTES

CHAPTER – 5 ACIDS BASES AND SALTS

1. State the differences between acids and bases.
Acids Bases
Acids are sour in taste Bases are bitter in taste
Acids are not soapy to touch Bases are soapy to touch
Acids changes blue litmus to red Bases changes red litmus to blue
Phenolphthalein is Colourless in Phenolphthalein gives a pink colour
acidic medium in basic medium
Acids have no effect on turmeric Bases turn yellow turmeric indicator to
indicator. red.
Acids are substance which Bases are substance which contains
+
contains hydrogen ions (H ) hydroxyl ion(OH-)
2. What are indicators? Name the most commonly used natural indicator.
Ans: Indicators are substances which have different colours in acidic and basic
substances. They are used to test whether a substance is acidic or basic in nature.
The most commonly used natural indicator is litmus which is obtained from lichen.
3. What are neutral substances? Give examples.
Ans: The substances which are neither acidic nor basic are called neutral
substances.
Eg: Pure water, distilled water, sugar, salt, glucose.
4. What are alkalis?
Ans: Bases which are highly soluble in water are called alkalis.
Eg: Sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide.
5. Describe the process of neutralization with the help of an example.

The reaction between an acid and a base to produce salt and water is known as
neutralization.

Eg: Sodium hydroxide + Hydrochloric acid Sodium chloride+

Water + Heat
NaOH + HCl NaCl + H2O + Heat

6. Explain why:
 a) An antacid tablet is taken when you suffer from acidity.
Ans: Hydrochloric acid present in our stomach helps in digestion of food.
Sometimes our stomach produces more hydrochloric acid and which leads to
a burning sensation in our stomach. This condition is called acidity. Acidity can
be reduced by taking antacid tablets which contains a basic substance like
milk of magnesia.

b) Calamine solution is applied on the skin when an ant bites.

Ans. When ant bites, it injects formic acid in to the skin which causes pain
at the place of bite. The effect of this acid can be can be neutralized by
rubbing moist baking soda or calamine solution which contains a base.

c) Factory waste is neutralized before disposing it into the water bodies

Factory waste mainly contain acids. If these wastes are directly thrown to
water bodies, they harm aquatic lives. Hence, it should be neutralized by a
basic substance like slaked lime before sending to water bodies.

7. Dorji has a few bottles of soft drink in his restaurant. But, unfortunately, these
are not labeled. He has to serve the drinks on the demand of customers. One
customer wants acidic drink; another wants basic and third one wants neutral drink.
How will Dorji decide which drink is to be served to whom?

Ans. Though the bottles contain drinks, they can be tasted and identified. The
drinks which are sour in taste are acidic in nature and the drinks which are bitter in
taste are basic in nature. Those drinks which taste neither sour nor bitter can be
neutral drinks.

This can be tested even by using litmus papers. Put a few drops of drinks on blue
litmus paper. If it turns red, then the drink is acidic in nature. If the drink changes
red litmus to blue, it is basic in nature. The drink which has no change with the
litmus paper is neutral.

8. Three liquids are given to you. One is hydrochloric acid; another is sodium
hydroxide and third is a sugar solution. How will you identify them? You have
only turmeric indicator.

 Put drops of each solution on turmeric indicator. The one which turns the
 turmeric in to red is sodium hydroxide as bases change the colour of
turmeric to red. The other two will not show any colour change.
 Mix few drops of Sodium hydroxide with other two solutions. Then
put these mixtures on turmeric.
 Sodium hydroxide when added to the neutral solution becomes basic
in nature and turns turmeric to red.
 Sodium hydroxide mixes with hydrochloric acid and form salt which is
neutral. So there will be no colour change.
9. Blue litmus paper is dipped in a solution. It remains blue. What is the nature
of the solution? Explain.

Ans. Acids turn blue litmus to red. Blue litmus has no effect on bases and
neutral solutions. As there is no change in colour, the solution can be either
basic or neutral. If it turns red litmus to blue, it is a base.

10. A farmer was unhappy because of his low crop yield. He discussed the
problem with an agricultural scientist and realized that the soil of his field was
either too acidic or basic. What remedy would you suggest the farmer to
neutralize the soil?

Ans: Plants grow best in neutral soil .If the soil is too acidic, treat it with bases like
quick lime, slaked lime or chalk. If the soil is too basic treat it with organic matter
as it releases acids.

11. Explain about Acid rain.

 Smoke emitted from factories and vehicles release Carbon dioxide, Sulphur
dioxide and Nitrogen dioxide etc. These harmful gases react with the water
vapour present in the atmosphere to form acids like carbonic acid, sulphuric acid
nitric acid

 These acids then drop down with rain, making the rain acidic and it is called acid
rain.
 It damages buildings, historical monuments, plants and animals.
NCERT Solutions

Q.2.Ammonia is found in many household products, such as window cleaners. It turns red litmus blue.
What is its nature?
Ans. Ammonia has basic nature.

Q.3.Name the source from which litmus solution is obtained. What is the use of this solution?
Ans. Litmus solution is extracted from lichens. It is used to determine whether the given solution is
acidic or basic.

Q.4. Is the distilled water acidic/basic/neutral? How would you verify it?
Ans. Distilled water will be neutral. We can verify it by showing that neither blue nor red litmus paper
changes its colour when dipped in it.

Q.5. Describe the process of neutralisation with the help of an example.

Ans. The reaction between an acid and a base is known as neutralisation. Salt and water are produced
in this process with the evolution of heat.
Antacids like milk of magnesia (magnesium hydroxide), baking soda, etc. which contain a base are used
for reducing acidity in stomach when excessive acid released by glands.

Q.6.Mark ‘T’ if the statement is true and ‘F’ if it is false:

(i) Nitric acid turns red litmus blue. (T/F)
(ii) Sodium hydroxide turns blue litmus red. {T/F)
(iii) Sodium hydroxide and hydrochloric acid neutralise each other and form salt and water. (T/F)
(iv)Indicator is a substance which shows different colours in acidic and basic solutions. . (T/F)
(v) Tooth decay is caused by the presence of a base. (T/F)
Ans.(1) F (ii) F (iii) T (iv) T (V) F

Q.7. Dorji has a few bottles of soft drink in his restaurant. But, unfortunately, these are
not labelled. He has to serve the drinks on the demand of customers. One customer
wants acidic drink; another wants basic and third one wants neutral drink. How
will Dorji decide which drink is to be served to whom?
Ans.Dorji can decide with the help of litmus paper:
(i) The drink which would turn red litmus blue would be basic.
(ii) If the drink turns blue litmus to red would be acidic.
(iii) The drink which would not affect both red and blue litmus would be neutral.

Q.8.Explain why:
(a) An antacid tablet is taken when you suffer from acidity.
(b) Calamine solution is applied on the skin when an ant bites.
(c) Factory waste is neutralised before disposing it into the water bodies.
Ans.(a) We take an antacid such as milk of magnesia to neutralises the excessive acid released in
stomach.
(b) Ant injects an acidic liquid (Formic acid) into the skin on biting which causes inflammation, to the
skin. The effect of the acid can be neutralised by rubbing. Calamine solution which contains zinc
carbonate which is very weak base and causes no harm to the skin.
(c) The wastes of factories contain acids. If acids are disposed off in the water body, the acids will harm
the organisms. So factory wastes are neutralised by adding basic substances.

Q.9. Three liquids are given to you. One is hydrochloric acid; another is sodium hydroxide and third is
a sugar solution. How will you identify them? You have only turmeric indicator.
Ans. Name of the substances Effect on turmeric indicator
1. Hydrochloric acid Yellow
2. Sodium hydroxide Yellow to red
3. Sugar solution No change
Q.10. Blue litmus paper is dipped in a solution. It remains blue. What is the nature of the solution?
Explain.

Ans. (i) It can be identified on the basis of the following observations: Bases change the colour of litmus
paper to blue. As the colour of blue litmus paper is not affected, the solution must be basic.
(ii) If the solution is neutral, even then colour of litmus will not change.

Q. 11. Consider the following statements:

(a) Both acids and bases change colour of all indicators.
(b) If an indicator gives a colour change with an acid, it does not give a change with a base.
(c) If an indicator changes colour with a base, it does not change colour with an acid.
(d) Change of colour in an acid and a base depends on the type of the indicator. Which of these
statements are correct?
(i) All four
(ii) (a) and (d)
(iii) (b) and (c)
(iv) only (d)

Ans. (ii) (a) and (d)