Read Chapter 15, section 2 and summarize the section here:

The Self-Ionization of Water

The Self-Ionization Constant of Water

The Meaning of pH

Measuring pH

Acid Base Solutions: Concentration and Strength Remote Lab

This‌‌lesson‌is designed ‌for‌‌a‌‌student‌‌working‌remotely‌.

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Introduction: There are two parts to this lab, a practical and a simulation.

Practical Lab

You will need:

Fresh Lemons (you can use half a cup of vinegar if you don’t have a lemon)
A small measuring cup & measuring spoon
Baking Soda
Liquid dish soap
A clear cup for the reaction

What to do:

Roll the lemons on the counter like dough. This releases the juice inside the lemon.
Cut the lemon in half (adults only, please) and carefully squeeze out the juice into a small
cup.
Into the empty glass place 1 Tablespoon of baking soda.
Add 1 teaspoon of liquid dish soap to the baking soda. Stir these up a bit.
Place the cup of baking soda/dish soap in your kitchen sink and pour the lemon juice into
it and stir. Now watch the lemon suds erupt!

How does it work?

This is a classic example of an acid-base reaction. This is often done with vinegar and
baking soda, but you will do it here with a “lemon twist.” The baking soda (a base) and
the lemon juice (an acid) combine to release Carbon Dioxide gas. The liquid soap turns
the bubbles into a foam that often erupts right out of the glass.

Try it out and explain here what you observed:

Simulation Lab

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This lab uses the Acid Base Solutions simulation from PhET Interactive Simulations at
University of Colorado Boulder, under the CC-BY 4.0 license:
https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/acid-base-solutions/latest/acid-base-solutions_en.html

Learning goals: Students will be able to

a) Generate or interpret molecular representations (words and/or pictures) for acid or base solutions
b) Provide or use representations of the relative amounts of particles in acid or base solutions to
estimate strength and/or concentration
c) Use common tools (pH meter, conductivity, pH paper) of acid or base solutions to estimate
strength and/or concentration

Lab: Visualizing acid strength, concentration, and pH

A. Explore Acid Base Solutions for a few minutes using the different ways we think about solutions:
the molecular , pH, conductivity, and bar graphs. Then, answer these questions while using the
simulation more.

1. For an acid, what happens to the molecule when it is in a water solution?

2. What is different about what happens to a weak acid molecule and what happens to a strong acid
molecule?

3. How do the representations of a weak acid reaction differ from a strong one?

4. If you increase the concentration of an acid, what changes in both types of acids?

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B. Look at these images used in the simulation to depict a strong acid solution:

KEY:

Now, use the

simulation to help you answer these questions. You may want to insert images captured from the
simulation to help your explanations.

a. How should the Key change for a weak acid?

b. How would the images change for a weak acid solution of the same concentration? Draw the
images as well as describing them in words.

c. Draw the images for a weak acid and a strong acid solution of the greater concentration? Make
any notes that might help you remember.

d. Write the chemical reactions for a weak acid and a strong acid.

e. Is there one type of representation that might be the best one for you to remember information
about weak and strong acids? Make any notes that might help you remember how to
compare/contrast the two types.

C. Repeat parts A and B for base solutions.

D. Optional
a. Students you can collaborate online to check your answers.
b. If your online learning partner explains to you that concentration and strength affect acid
base solution representations the same way, are they right? Make notes of ideas that
support the statement and those that contradict.

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 Test Your Understanding: Scientists often use a variety of explanations and images to think.
Apply your understanding from the simulation to these questions that look like typical test
questions.
1. Water molecules are not shown. Each beaker contains the same volume of solution;
Key: = HA (unreacted acid) = A- = H+ (or H3O+)

Beaker A Beaker B Beaker C Beaker D

0.1 M HCl
1a. Which might be the label on Beaker C?

A. 0.01 M HC2H3O2 B. 0.1 M HC2H3O2 C. 0.3 M HC2H3O2 D. 0.01 M HCl E. 0.3 M HCl

1b. Which beaker would have the lowest pH? A B C D

1c. Explain your reasoning for both questions:

2. You have two beakers. One beaker contains 100 mL of NaOH (a strong base);
the other contains 100 mL of aqueous Na3PO4 (a weak base). You test the pH of
each solution. Which of the following statements is true?

a. The Na3PO4 has a higher pH because it has more sodium ions than
NaOH. 100 mL 100 mL
b. It is possible for the solutions in each beaker to have the same pH. NaOH(aq) Na3PO4(aq)
c. If the pH of the NaOH solution is 12.00, the pH of the Na3PO4 solution
has to be greater than 12.00
d. If the pH of the NaOH solution is 12.00, the pH of the Na3PO4 solution has to be less than
12.00

Explain your reasoning for your choice:

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