Acids, Bases and Salts

(Page No. 3)
Factual questions

1.

Conceptual Questions
1. How are weak acids different from dilute acids?
Ans: Acid that partially dissociates into ions in water is called weak acid. A dilute acid is that in which
the concentration of the water mixed is higher than the concentration of the acid itself.

(Page No. 6)
Factual and conceptual question
1. Find the name of bases and complete the given sentences
a. Calcium hydroxide is used as additive in cement.
b. Ammonium hydroxide is the main ingredient in various cleaning agents
c. Potassium hydroxide is used in manufacturing of soft soaps
d. Magnesium hydroxide is used as an antacid.

(Page No. 9)
Factual question
1. Write the correct colour code in the given blanks. (you may need to use the same number multiple
times)

a. Methyl orange gives RED colour in an acidic solution.

b. Phenolphthalein gives PINK colour in an alkaline solution
c. Blue litmus paper changes to RED colour in an acidic medium.

Conceptual question
1. State the change in colour when the solutions given in a and b of the factual questions are
interchanged?
Ans: Phenolphthalein remains colourless when added to acidic solution, methyl orange turns yellow
when added to basic solution.
 (Page No. 14)
Factual question
1. Define salts
Ans: A substance that is produced by the reaction of acid with a base is known as salt.

Conceptual question
1. Write the name of the acid and the base for the given salts.
Salt Acid Base
Sodium carbonate Carbonic acid Sodium hydroxide
Ammonium chloride Hydrochloric acid Ammonium hydroxide
Potassium sulphate Sulfuric acid Potassium hydroxide
Ammonium acetate Acetic acid Ammonium hydroxide

Debatable question
1. Potassium chloride is a substitute of common salt. Yes or No? Justify.
Link: https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/can-a-salt-substitute-cause-high-potassium-
levels

Factual question
1. What is neutralization?
Ans: The reaction between an acid and a base to produce salt with the evolution of heat and water.

Conceptual questions
1. Match the following
Problems due to acids Treatment
i. Irritation due to bee sting a Toothpaste
ii. Hyperacidity of the stomach b Baking soda
iii. Mouth acidity c Quicklime
iv. Soil acidity d Antacid

Ans: i – b ii – d iii – a iv – c

Debatable question
1. Neutralization reactions are important for living beings. Justify.

EXERCISE
I. Choose the correct option
1. Which of the following is not mineral acid
a. Nitric acid
b. Sulphuric acid
c. Acetic acid
d. Hydrochloric acid

2. The chemical name of limestone is ______

a. calcium hydroxide
b. calcium carbonate
c. calcium oxide
d. calcium sulphate
3. Which of the following is an example of natural indicator
a. Phenolphthalein
b. Litmus dye
c. Methyl orange
d. Both a and c

4. Which of the following is used as a drying agent

a. Ammonium chloride
b. Magnesium chloride
c. Calcium chloride
d. Sodium chloride

5. Bleaching powder has pH value of 13. Which of the following best describes the bleaching powder?
a. it is a weak base
b. it is strong base
c. it is a weak acid
d. it is a strong acid

II Fill in the blanks

1. Oxalic acid is found in tomatoes
2. Indicator changes its color when exposed to an acidic or a basic solution.
3. Neutral substances always have pH value of 7
4. Basic salts are formed when a strong base reacts with weak acid.
5. The common name of sodium carbonate is washing soda.

III Match the following.

Column A Column B
1. Caustic soda a. CaO
2. Quicklime b. KOH
3. Caustic potash c. Ca(OH)2
4. Slaked lime d. NaOH
Ans: 1 – d 2–a 3–b 4–c

IV. Answer the following questions

Factual questions

1. Define
a. Mineral acids
Ans: Acids that are derived from inorganic materials are called minerals acids.

b. Neutralization reaction
Ans: When acid is mixed with a basic solution, they react together and produce salt. This reaction is
called neutralization reaction because the resultant product of this reaction is neutral.

2. Name the following

a. A fruit containing malic acid: Apple
b. A flower used as a natural indicator: Hydrangea
3. State any two uses of:
a. Acids
Ans:
1. Nitric acid is used in production of explosives.
2. Hydrochloric acid is used in the steel industry to remove rust from iron.

b. Bases
Ans:
a. Potassium hydroxide is used in petroleum refining
b. Calcium hydroxide is used in the processing of water which is used in soft drinks and alcoholic
beverages.

4. List any three properties of salts

Ans:
a. Salts may be salty, sour, bitter or sweet in taste.
b. Some salts are white and some are coloured.
c. They are good conductors of electricity in the molten state or in water.
d. Most of the salts are soluble in water with few exceptions. For example, calcium carbonate.

5. What is a pH scale?
Ans:
pH scale is a measure of the acidity or basicity of a solution. It tells how acidic or basic a substance is.

Conceptual questions
1. Give reasons
a. We brush our teeth with toothpaste
Ans:
Our mouths contain bacteria These bacteria can change the sugar left on our teeth into acids. These
acids then dissolve our teeth and cause tooth decay. However, if we brush our teeth with toothpaste,
the alkaline in the toothpaste will neutralise the acids produced by the bacteria in our mouth.

b. Concentrated acid should be handled carefully.

Ans: One should handle strong very carefully because these are corrosive in nature and irritating,
and harmful to skin. they can cause severe chemical burns.

2. All alkalis are bases but all bases are not alkalis. Justify the statement.
Ans: A substance that neutralizes an acid is a base and that soluble in water is an alkali. However, all
bases are not soluble in water. Thus, all alkali are bases but all bases are not alkali.

3. Distinguish between acids and bases based on the given criteria:

Criteria Acids Bases

Taste Sour Bitter
Blue litmus paper test No change Changes to red
pH value Less than 7 Greater than 7

4. The given picture shows the pH scale range of a universal indicators.

a. Identify A, B and C indicated in the picture.
Ans: A – acid, B – neutral substance, C – base

b. Mark the following substances as per their pH values on the given pH range
(one has been done for your reference)
Lemon juice, bleaching powder, pure water, vinegar, lime water.

5. How acids are important for industries?

Ans:

Debatable questions

1. A student needs sodium hydroxide and hydrochloric acid solutions for one his experiments. There
are three colorless solutions in the laboratory, out of which one is hydrochloric acid, the seconds is
sodium hydroxide and the third is sugar solution. He only has the phenolphthalein indicator with
him. Will he be able to identify them Justify?
Ans:
Phenolphthalein indicator is a colorless.
→ Take a few drops from each solution and test it with a phenolphthalein solution. If the solution
turns pink then the solution is basic i.e., sodium hydroxide. Mark the beaker (containing solution) as
base.
→ Take a test tube and add a few drops of base solution and the second solution. Check if the test
tube becomes warm and then add phenolphthalein solution to it. If the colour does not change, it
means the solution is acidic i.e., hydrochloric acid. The test tube becomes warm because of the
neutralization effect.
→ If the test tube of the above solution does not become warm and it does show pink colour when
phenolphthalein solution is added, the second solution is neutral.

2. Shreya was preparing some dish. By mistake, she added baking soda instead of salt along with the
turmeric. Does she observe any change?
Ans: Yes, Shreya does observe change in colour of the dish to red.
 EXTRA QUESTIONS
A. Fill in the blanks:
1. Bases are bitter in taste.
2. An apple contains malic acid whereas an orange contains citric acid.
3. Sulfuric acid is also known as the King of Chemicals.
4. Acetic acid is present in vinegar.
5. Tannic acid is used in the manufacture of leather and ink.
6. Food requires hydrochloric acid for digestion.
7. Beetroot juice indicator, when added to an acidic solution, turns its colour into pink.
8. Magnesium hydroxide is used as an antacid to treat indigestion.
9. Calcium hydroxide is used in whitewash, plaster and mortar.
10. Bases that are soluble in water are known as alkali.

B. State true or false. Correct the statement if it’s false:

1. Sodium chloride is an acidic salt. False
Sodium chloride is a neutral salt.
2. All weak acids are organic acids. False
All organic acids are weak acids, not all weak acids are organic. Example: carbonic acid
is mineral acid but it is weak acid
3. Acidic and basic solutions can conduct electricity. True
4. Hydrogen fluoride can be easily stored in glass. False
Hydrofluoric acid is the only known acid that has the capability to react even with glass.
So, it is stored in plastic bottles.
5. Phenolphthalein turns the colour of an acidic solution pink. False
It turns the colour of a basic solution into pink but does not change the colour of an
acidic solution
6. Methyl orange turns the colour of a basic solution yellow. True
7. The more the ph value, the stronger is the base. True
8. The name of the salt NaHCO3 is sodium carbonate. False
Name of NaHCO3 is sodium bicarbonate
9. Baking soda solution can turn red litmus blue. True
Baking soda is base, bases turn red litmus to blue
10. Spinach contains malic acid whereas tomatoes contain oxalic acid. False
Spinach and tomatoes both contain oxalic acid.

C. Very short answer-type questions:

1. Define an acidic and a basic substance.
A substance which contains a acid is known as acidic substance
A substance which contains a base is known as basic substance

2. Why are acids not stored in metallic containers?

Acids can react with metals and thus can easily corrode them.

3. Define strong acids.

Strong acids are those acids which readily react with metals. They are highly corrosive
and destructive

4. What are dilute and concentrated acids?

Dilute acids are those solutions which have more amount of water and less amount of
acids whereas concentrated acids are those solutions which have less amount of water
and more amount of acids.

5. What is an indicator? Give examples.

Substance used to check whether the compound is acidic or basic is known as indicator.
Indicators include litmus, china rose, turmeric, phenolphthalein, universal indicators,
methyl orange

6. Define water of crystallization.

Salts are generally found as crystals with water molecules present in them. This is
known as the water of crystallisation
7. What is an anhydrous salt?
When the salt crystals are heated, they will lose their water of crystallisation. This
results in the characteristics loss of shape and colour of the salt crystal and the salt
becomes a powdery substance. These kinds of salts are known as anhydrous salts.

8. What is the source from which litmus is prepared? State its use.
It is the most common natural indicator. It is a mixture of different dyes extracted from
lichens. When litmus is added to an acidic solution, it turns red, and when it is added to
basic solutions, it turns blue.

9. Coffee is brown and bitter in taste. Is it an acid or a base? Justify.

Bitter = base

Sour = acid
But, in the case of coffee, it has a low pH, so it is considered acidic.

10. When a soap solution is added to beetroot juice, which colour does the
solution turn into?
When soap solution is added to a beetroot juice, solution color turns into pale yellow

D. Short answer-type questions:

1. What are the two different types of acids? Give two examples of each.
Strong acids are those acids which readily react with metals. They are highly corrosive
and destructive in nature. Examples: hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, sulphuric acid
Weak acids are those acids which do not readily react with metals. They are not as
corrosive and destructive as strong acids. Examples: acetic acid, malic acid, oxalic acid.

2. Write any 3 properties of acids with examples.

(a) Acids can react with metals and thus can easily corrode them. That’s why they
cannot be stored in metal containers. They are generally stored in glassware. Sulphuric
acid
(b) They are sour in taste. All citrus fruits contain citric acid and they are sour in taste
(c) They can severely burn the human skin (when it comes in contact) and can
alsodamage clothes and wood. Example: sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid
3. Write any 3 properties of base with examples.
(a) If you apply a few drops of basic solution on your fingers, you will feel that it is
slippery. Hence, bases are soapy to touch.
(b) They can harm our skin and eyes as they are corrosive in nature. That’s why they
should be handled with care.
(c) They may or may not be soluble in water. Bases that can be easily dissolved in water
are known as alkalis. Examples of alkalis are sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide
and calcium hydroxide

4. What is a china rose indicator? How does it identify the nature of the solution?State
two reasons for this phenomenon.
China rose solution, when added to acid, changes the colour of the acid to orange or
pink . When the indicator is added to a basic solution, it changes the colour of the base
to green. There will be no change in colour when the solution is neutral.

5. Write the difference between an acid and a base.

Basis Acid Base
Taste Sour Bitter
pH value Less than 7 Greater than 7
Dissociation When acids dissolved in water, When bases dissolved in water,
they release hydrogen ions they release hydroxide ions (OH-)
(H+)
Litmus paper Turns blue litmus to red Turns red litmus to blue
Examples Acetic acid, sulfuric acid Sodium hydroxide, ammonia

6. What is a pH number? How is it measured?

To measure the strength of acids and bases, various strengths have been assigned a
different value which is called the pH number. These number varies from 1 to 14. When
the number varies between 1 and 7, the substance is acidic in nature, pH 1 being
strongly acidic. When the number is between 7 and 14, the substance is basic, pH is
being strongly basic. pH 7 is considered neutral.

7. What is a neutralisation reaction? Give examples.

Salt is a substance which is formed when an acid and a base react with each other. This
reaction is known as neutralisation reaction.
𝐻𝐶𝑙 (𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑑) + 𝑁𝑎𝑂𝐻 (𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑒) → 𝐻2𝑂(𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟) + 𝑁𝑎𝐶𝑙(𝑠𝑎𝑙𝑡)
8. What are the properties of salts?
Salts are solid; thus they normally boil and melt at high temperatures.
• They are normally soluble in water.
• They are transparent and colourless.
• They are generally found as crystals with water molecules present in them. This is
known as the water of crystallisation and such kind of salts are known as hydrated salts.

9. While playing in a park, you got stung by a bee. Your parents suggested the
application of baking soda but your aunt suggested application of a lemon. Whose
suggestion will you follow and why?
Answer: baking soda
Explanation: When a bee bites it injects formic acid which causes irritation, baking soda
is a base and will neutralize the acid injected by the bee.
The lemon juice is an acid and will not neutralize the formic acid.

10. What is the effect of lemon solution on turmeric paste, phenolphthalein and
methyl orange?
Lemon solution
Turmeric paste No change in colour
phenolphthalein No change in colour
methyl orange Colour changes to red

E. Long answer type questions:

1. Explain the following:
A. Why do we use calamine solution when stung by a bee?
When bee bites, it injects formic acid into the skin. Calamine solution contains zinc
carbonate which is basic in nature. Therefore, it is applied on the skin t neutralize the
effect of formic acid
B. Why do we use magnesium hydroxide as an antacid?
Magnesium hydroxide is a base therefore it reduces stomach acid, and increases water
in the stomach, in this way it act as an antacid to relieve indigestion.
C. Why are factory wastes treated with slaked lime before their discharge?
When factory waste is directly discharged into river then it will lower the pH level of
river thus it will cause harm to aquatic life. Therefore factory waste is treated with a
base so it doesn't harm the aquatic organisms.
2. You have 3 different kinds of soft drinks. Sumit wants an acidic soft drink while Jojo
wants a basic soft drink. Rohit wants a neutral soft drink. The soft drinks are not
labelled. What is the fastest way to identify which drink is acidic, which is basic and
which is neutral?
(i) If the drink turns blue litmus paper to red, then the drink is acidic and hence will be
served to first customer who wants acidic drink.
(ii) If the drink turns red litmus paper to blue, then the drink is basic and hence will be
served to another customer who wants basic drink.
(iii) If the drink shows no change in colour with litmus paper, then it will be neutral
drink.
Thus, it will be served to third customer.
Or
Since, the soft drinks are edible. Jojo can take the decision by tasting the drinks. Acidic
drinks will be sour to taste whereas basic drinks will be bitter to taste and neutral
drinks will have no taste.

3. What are the uses of salts?

• Sodium chloride (NaCl) is used to enhance the taste of food (seasoning for food), in
the manufacture of chlorine and sodium carbonate, in curing meat and fish, etc.
• Calcium carbonate (CaCO3) is used as flooring (in the form of marbles), in cement, in
extraction of iron, etc.
• Ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3) is used in the manufacture of fertilizers and
explosives.
• Sodium carbonate (Na2CO3) (Washing Soda) is used in cleaning, in detergents, in
the manufacture of glass and for water softening.
• Sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) (Baking Soda) is also used in medicines and bakery
products.
• Silver nitrate (AgNO3) is used in photography for developing films
• Potash Alum (Phitkari) (K2SO4.Al2(SO4)3.24H2O) is used in the purification of
water.
In the exam you can write any five, It’s okay if you don’t write the chemical formula
4. Write any 3 uses of bases.
Magnesium hydroxide (Mg(OH)2) is used as an antacid to treat indigestion, heart
burn and sour stomach. It is also used as a laxative to relieve constipation.
Ammonium hydroxide (NH4OH) is used to remove grease from window panes and is
helpful in removing ink spots from clothes. It is used in the cosmetic industry.
Alkalis like potassium hydroxide are used in alkaline batteries

5. What are the uses of acids?

Sulphuric acid is mainly used in the manufacturing of fertilisers. It is also used in the
production of chemicals such as hydrochloric acid, nitric acid and sulfate salts, etc.
Hydrochloric acid is used in the production of chlorides and metals such as tantalum
and tin. It is also used for cleaning sinks and sanitaryware, and also removing deposits
from the inside of the boilers.
Nitric acid finds the most important use in the production of fertilisers such as
ammonium nitrate.
Acetic acid is present in vinegar which is used to enhance the flavour of food and as a
preservative in pickles.
Tannic acid is used in the manufacture of leather and ink.

6. You have been given 3 bottles containing colourless liquids containing sodium
hydroxide, hydrochloric acid and sodium chloride solution. How will you identifywhich
bottle contains sodium chloride? You have only turmeric.
Turmeric is a natural indicator. Turmeric solution turns red, when it comes in contact
with bases. It is not affected by acids and neutral substances.
Applying turmeric solution to the test tube, the results are:-(1) test tube A
(Hydrochloric acid): No , change will happen since turmeric is not affected by acids
and HCL is a acid
(2) test tube B (sodium hydroxide): Yes , turmeric will change its color to red since
sodium hydroxide is basic nature.
(3) test tube c (sugar solution) : NO, change will happen as sugar solution is neither
basic nor acidic in nature
Hence, we can only identify basic solution using turmeric as an indicator
7. A farmer is unhappy with the crop production this year. He realised that his soil is
either too acidic or too basic. What should he do in this situation to solve his problem?
If the soil is acidic, he should treat it with slaked lime as it would neutralize the acid
inthe soil. If the soil is basic then the farmer should add organic matter which release
acids and neutralizes the basic or alkaline nature of the soils

HOTS Questions: Think and Answer

1. I tried testing solid baking soda with litmus but it did not turn blue. Why?
Baking soda is a base, it turns red litmus to blue, if we want to see the change in colour
we have baking soda solution, not the solid baking soda.
2. Can the colour of a basic salt solution turn pink when phenolphthalein is added to it?
Basic salts are salts that are the product of the neutralization of strong base and weak
acid. Rather than being neutral, basic salts are bases as their name suggests. And yes
colour of a basic salt solution turn pink when phenolphthalein is added to it

3. Why is carbon dioxide gas released when vinegar is mixed with baking soda?
Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) and vinegar is acetic acid (CH3COOH).
One of the products this reaction creates is carbon dioxide, which makes the bubbles.
𝑁𝑎𝐻𝐶𝑂3 + 𝐶𝐻3𝐶𝑂𝑂𝐻 → 𝐶𝐻3𝐶𝑂𝑂𝑁𝑎 + 𝐶𝑂2 + 𝐻2𝑂

4. Discuss whether shampoo is acidic or basic in nature.

Shampoos are in fact, slightly acidic (around pH 5.5). The common ingredient for
achieving this acidity is citric acid, the same acid you find in lemons and oranges. (It also
contains a buffer so that the pH remains constant but that's another story) We make
shampoo acidic because, under acidic conditions, the scales on a hair follicle lie flat,
making the hair feel smooth and look shiny. That's why some people apply vinegar to
their hair and why your hair feels coarse if you wash it with soap.

5. Why are toothpastes basic in nature?

Tooth paste is often basic in nature to counteract acidity in the mouth. Tooth paste are
basic in nature because in our mouth there are certain types of acids which can also
causes tooth decay so we brush our teeth the basic nature of toothpaste reacts with the
acids present in the mouth and hence it becomes neutral. That is the reason why
toothpaste is basic in nature.
6. Blue litmus paper is dipped in a solution. It remains blue. What is the nature ofthe
solution? Explain.
The above solution could be a base or a neutral solution because blue litmus paper
doesn't change its colour in the neutral as well as basic solution.
7. Ammonia is found in many house-hold products, such as window cleaners. Itturns
red litmus blue. What is its nature?

The substances that turn red litmus* to blue are basic in nature. Ammonia also turns
redlitmus to blue. Thus, it is basic in nature.

litmus*: Litmus is a dye that becomes red in acidic conditions and blue under alkaline
conditions

8. Is the distilled water acidic/basic/neutral? How would you verify it?

The solutions which do not change the colour of either red or blue litmus are known as
neutral solutions. When the nature of distilled water is tested with litmus paper, we
have found neither red nor blue changes in the colour which verify its neutral nature.

9. 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 b
iii. b and c
iv. Only d

All indicators do not change colour with acids as well as bases, e.g. turmeric changes its
colour to pink with base but it remains yellow with acid. Litmus paper, methyl orange
are some indicators which changes colour with both acids and bases.
1. The correct way of making a solution of acid in water is to
(a) add water to acid.
(b) add acid to water.
(c) mix acid and water simultaneously.
(d) add water to acid in a shallow container.

2. Products of a neutralisation reaction are always

(a) an acid and a base.
(b) an acid and a salt.
(c) a salt and water.
(d) a salt and a base.

3. Turmeric is a natural indicator. On adding its paste to acid and base separately, which

colours would be observed

(a) Yellow in both acid and base.

(b) Yellow in acid and red in base.

(c) Pink in acid and yellow in base.

(d) Red in acid and blue in base.

4. Phenolphthalein is a synthetic indicator and its colours in acidic and basic

solutions, respectively are

(a) red and blue.

(b) blue and red.

(c) pink and colourless.

(d) colourless and pink

5. When the soil is too basic, plants do not grow well in it. To improve its quality what

must be added to the soil?

(a) Organic matter
(b) Quick lime

(c) Slaked lime

(d) Calamine solution

6. ‘Litmus’, a natural dye is an extract of which of the following?

(a) China rose (Gudhal)
(b) Beetroot
(c) Lichen
(d) Blue berries (Jamun)

7. Neutralisation reaction is a
(a) physical and reversible change.
(b) physical change that cannot be reversed.
(c) chemical and reversible change.
(d) chemical change that cannot be reversed.

8. A solution changes the colour of turmeric indicator from yellow to red. The
solution is
(a) basic

(b) acidic

(c) neutral
(d) either neutral or acidic

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END OF THE PAGE
NOTE:
Hello students, I have covered every possible question of acids, bases and salts
chapter in this file, please go through all the questions. If you are not able to
understand a particular question and answer, please read that once again, I’m
sure you will understand. Don’t think that, this is heavy for you, I have already
covered allthe points in the class, this is kind of revision. If you go through every
question you will get good idea. You can answer any question related to this
chapter.

Sai Vishnu.