Chemical Changes Mastery Part 4: Acids

Acids and metals

Acids are substances that have a pH of less than 7. Alkalis have a pH of more than 7. A pH of 7 exactly is called a neutral
solution.

The three main acids are:

• Hydrochloric acid: HCl(aq)

• Nitric acid: HNO3(aq)
• Sulfuric acid: H2SO4(aq)

Each of these splits up into ions when dissolved in water:

• HCl splits into H+ and Cl-

HCl(aq) → H+(aq) + Cl-(aq)

• HNO3 splits into H+ and NO3-

HNO3 (aq) → H+(aq) + NO3-(aq)

• H2SO4 splits into 2H+ and SO42-

H2SO4 (aq) → 2H+(aq) + SO42-(aq)

It is the H+ which makes them acidic, and the pH scale is based on how much H+ there is present. The more H+, the lower the
pH.

1. Reactions of acids with metals

When a metal is added to acid, it will react to form a salt and hydrogen gas. A salt is a compound where the hydrogen from an
acid has been replaced with a metal. For example:

Calcium + sulfuric acid  calcium sulfate + hydrogen

Ca(s) + H2SO4(aq)  CaSO4(aq) + H2(g)

Here, the hydrogens from the sulfuric acid have been replaced by calcium.

• Hydrochloric acid makes metal chlorides

• Nitric acid makes metal nitrates
• Sulfuric acid makes metal sulfates

1. Complete the table below. The first one has been done for you
Formula of salt Name of salt Original metal Original acid

NaCl Sodium chloride Sodium Hydrochloric acid

LiCl Lithium chloride Lithium Hydrochloric acid

CaSO4 Calcium sulfate Calcium Sulfuric acid

MgSO4 Magnesium sulfate Magnesium Sulfuric acid

KNO3 Potassium nitrate Potassium Nitric acid

2. Write a word equation for the reactions between:
a. Aluminium and hydrochloric acid
Aluminium + hydrochloric acid → aluminium chloride + hydrogen
2Al + 6HCl → 2AlCl3 + 3H2
b. Magnesium and hydrochloric acid

magnesium + hydrochloric acid → magnesium chloride + hydrogen

Mg + 2HCl → MgCl2 + H2

c. Calcium and nitric acid

calcium + nitric acid → calcium nitrate + hydrogen

Ca + 2HNO3 → Ca(NO3)2 + H2

d. Beryllium and sulfuric acid

beryllium + sulfuric acid → beryllium sulfate + hydrogen

Be + H2SO4 → Be SO4 + H2

e. Iron and sulfuric acid

iron + sulfuric acid → iron(II) sulfate + hydrogen

Fe + H2SO4 → FeSO4 + H2

OR

iron + sulfuric acid → iron(III) sulfate + hydrogen

2Fe + 3H2SO4 → Fe2(SO4)3 + 3H2

3. Write a word equation for a reaction which forms:

f. Aluminium sulfate

aluminium + sulfuric acid → aluminium sulfate + hydrogen

2Al + 3H2SO4 → Al2(SO4)3 + 3H2

g. Calcium chloride

calcium + hydrochloric acid → calcium chloride + hydrogen

Ca + 2HCl → CaCl2 + H2

h. Barium nitrate

barium + nitric acid → barium nitrate + hydrogen

Ba + 2HNO3 → Ba(NO3)2 + H2

i. Rubidium chloride

rubidium + hydrochloric acid → rubidium chloride + hydrogen

2Rb + 2HCl → RbCl + H2

Challenge: write symbol equations for every reaction in Q2 and Q3