Acids, Bases and

Salts
Aisya
20 May 2022
730PM-9PM
 Properties of acids

● Have a sour taste

● Have a pH value of less than 7, turns
blue litmus paper red
● Irritate skin and are corrosive
● Electrical conductors due to the presence of mobile
ions
● Able to react with metals, carbonates, basic oxides and
alkalis.
○ There are generally two types of acids, strong and
weak acids.
 Properties of Acids
● Acids are chemical substances that produce H+ ions in
the presence of water
● Alkali are chemical substance that produce OH+ ions in
the presence of water.

● H+ ions are responsible for the characteristics and

chemical properties of an acid. The amount of water in
which an acid is ionised in determines its
concentration.
* A dilute acid is one that the solution contains a low
concentration of H+ ions.
* A concentrated acid is one that the solution contains a
high concentration of H+ ions.
Strong Acids
● Ionise fully in water to
produce H+ ions.
● Ionisation is an irreversible
reaction.
HCl(g) → H+(aq) + Cl-(aq)
● Chemical reactions
involving strong acids
occur more vigorously
compared to weak acids.
● Generally have pH value
of close to 1.
● Examples: HCl, H2SO4,
HBr, HNO3
Weak Acids
● Ionise partially in water
to produce H+ ions.
● Ionisation is a reversible
reaction.
● Chemical reactions
involving weak acids
occur slowly.
● Generally have pH value
of around 5 or 6.
● Examples: H3PO4,
H2CO3, CH3COOH
 Reactions of Acids

Acids react with metals to form salt and hydrogen gas.

Example:
The reaction between dilute hydrochloric acid and magnesium
ribbon produces magnesium chloride and hydrogen gas.
2HCl(aq) + Mg(s) → MgCl2(aq) + H2(g)
The ionic equation is
2H+(aq) + Mg(s) → Mg2+(aq) + H2(g)

The hydrogen gas is tested using a lighted splint that

extinguishes with a "pop" sound.
 Example

The reaction between sulfuric acid and sodium carbonate produces

sodium sulfate, carbon dioxide and water.

H2SO4(aq) + Na2CO3(aq) → Na2SO4(aq) + H2O(l) + CO2(g)

The ionic equation is

2H+(aq) + CO32-(aq) → H2O(l)+ CO2(g)

The carbon dioxide gas is tested by passing it through
limewater. A white precipitate will be formed.
 Example

The reaction between dilute hydrochloric acid and aqueous

sodium hydroxide produces sodium chloride and water.

HCl(aq) + NaOH(aq) → NaCl(aq) + H2O(l)

The ionic equation is

H+(aq) + OH-(aq) → H2O(l)

This is also known as the neutralisation reaction, where

the H+ ions and OH- ions react to form water.
 Uses of Acids

Hydrochloric acid: Used to clear rust and other

oxides (corrosion)

Tartaric acid: Used to preserve food

Ascorbic acid: Ascorbic acid is also known as

Vitamin C

Sulfuric acid: Used in detergents, fertilisers and

in batteries
 Properties of Bases and Alkalis
Oxide (3 types): Amphoteric oxide, Basic Oxide (group 1),
Acidic Oxide (non-metals) gp 5-7
Bases are oxides or hydroxides of metals.

Alkalis are bases dissolved in water, producing OH- ions in the

process.

For example, potassium hydroxide in the solid state is a base

but in water, it ionises to produce OH- ions and is an alkali.
 Properties of Bases and Alkalis
OH- ions are responsible for the characteristics and chemical properties
of an alkali. The amount of water in which a base is ionised in
determines its concentration.

● A dilute alkali is one that the solution contains a low concentration of

OH- ions.
● A concentrated alkali is one that the solution contains a high
concentration of OH- ions.

There are generally two types of alkalis, strong and weak alkalis.
 Strong Alkali Weak Alkali

● Ionise fully in water to ● Ionise partially in water to

produce OH- ions. produce OH- ions.
● Ionisation is an ● Ionisation is a reversible
irreversible reaction. reaction.
NaOH(s) → Na+(aq) +
NH3(aq) + H2O(l) →
OH-(aq)
NH4+(aq) + OH-(aq)
● Chemical reactions
● Chemical reactions
involving strong alkali
involving weak alkali
occur more vigorously
occur less vigorously
● pH level closer to 14
● Generally have a pH
● Example: NaOH
value around 8 or 9
● Example: NH3
 Properties of Alkalis

● Have a bitter taste and soapy touch

● Have a pH value of more than 7
● Turn red litmus paper blue
● Irritate skin and are corrosive
● Electrical conductors due to the presence of mobile ions
 Reactions of Bases and Alkalis

● Bases and alkalis react with acids to form salt

and water.

● Alkalis react with ammonium salts to produce

salt, ammonia gas and water.
 Example
The reaction between aqueous sodium hydroxide and ammonium
chloride produces sodium chloride, ammonia gas and water.

NaOH(aq) + NH4Cl(aq) → NaCl(aq) + NH3(g) + H2O(l)

The ionic equation is

OH-(aq) + NH4+(aq) → NH3(g) + H2O(l)

The ammonia gas has a pungent smell and turns damp red litmus
paper blue.

Alkalis react with aqueous solutions containing metal ions to form salt
and metal hydroxide.
 Example

The reaction between aqueous sodium hydroxide and aluminium

chloride solution produces sodium chloride and aluminium hydroxide.

3NaOH(aq) + AlCl3(aq) → 3NaCl(aq) + Al(OH)3(s)

The ionic equation is

3OH-(aq) + Al3+(aq) → Al(OH)3(s)

This is a popular method in qualitative analysis where it is used to

identify the metal ions present in a solution.
 Uses of Alkali

Different alkalis are used for different applications.

Sodium hydroxide: Used to make detergent and soap

Magnesium hydroxide: Used to aid indigestion

Calcium hydroxide: Added to soils to make it less acidic.

Calcium hydroxide solution is limewater and is used to test for
the presence of carbon dioxide gas.
 pH Scale

● The pH scale measures how acidic or basic a substance

is. It has a range of 0 to 14.

● A substance with pH value of 7 is neutral.

● Any pH value below 7 is acidic. The smaller the pH

value, the more H+ ions a substance contains and the
more acidic the substance is.

● Any pH value above 7 is alkaline. The larger the pH

value, the more OH- ions a substance contains and the
more alkaline the substance is.
 Indicators

● An indicator is used to measure the pH value of a

substance.

Universal indicator
● Exists as either a solution or a piece of paper

● Changes colour according to pH value

● The colour of the solution/paper is compared with a chart to

find the approximate pH value

pH Range Description Color

<3 Strong acid Red/Orange

3-6 Weak acid Yellow

7 Neutral Green

8 - 11 Weak base Blue

> 11 Strong base Violet/ Purple

 pH Meter

● A device with a probe that is dipped in a solution

● The pH value of the solution will appear on the

screen

● The pH value is more accurate than the universal

indicator
 pH in Soils
Some plants grow better in acidic soils while others grow
better in alkaline soils.

Over time, soils may become acidic. Some of the reasons are:
* Acid rain makes the soil acidic.
* Fertilisers, such as ammonium fertilisers, releases H+ ions.
• Some plants release organic acids.

In order to ensure the healthy growth of plants, controlling the

pH of soils is important. Excess acidity can be treated by
adding calcium hydroxide, which wilt react with and neutralise
the acids in soils.
Oxides
Oxides are compounds formed between oxygen and another
atom or group of atoms.
Oxides can be categorised into four groups, neutral, acidic,
basic and amphoteric.

Neutral Oxide Acidic Oxide Basic Oxide Amphoteric

Oxide

Oxides that do not Usually oxides of Usually oxides of Usually oxides of

react with acids or non-metals metals transition metals
alkalis/bases
React with water Some react with Able to react
Do not form salt to form acids water to form with both
alkalis acids and
Examples: CO, React with bases alkalis to
N2O, NO to form salt Both aqueous and form salt
solid forms react
Examples: CO2, Examples: ZnO,
SO2 Examples: Na2O, Al2O3, PbO
MgO
 Salts
There are generally two types of salts: soluble and insoluble.
The following table shows the general rules of the solubility
of salts.
Soluble salt Insoluble salt

All Group I salts e.g. NaCl, Kl -

All ammonium salts e.g. NH4Cl -

All nitrates e.g. Mg(NO3)2 -

All Group VII salts e.g. MgCl2 Except AgCl, PbCl2

Except Group I oxide/hydroxides, Ba(OH)2, All hydroxides and oxides

Ca(OH)2, NH4OH, BaO, CaO

Except Group I carbonates, (NH4)2CO3 All carbonates

 Preparation of Insoluble Salts

The preparation of insoluble salts is generally done by the

precipitation method by mixing two aqueous solutions.

● One of the reactants contains the cation while the other

contains the anion of the salt.
 Example: Preparation of silver chloride

Aqueous silver nitrate and aqueous sodium chloride can be used.

AgNO3(aq) + NaCl(aq) → AgCl(s) + NaNO3(aq)

1. Mix AgNO3 and NaCl together in a beaker.

2. Solid AgCl and aqueous NaNO3 will be formed.

3. Filtration is done on the mixture to separate AgCl from NaNO3.

4. AgCl is washed with distilled water and dried with filter paper.
 Preparation of Soluble Salts

● There are generally two ways to prepare soluble salts,

depending on the reactants.

● One of the reactants contains the cation while the other

contains the anion of the salt.

● The first method is through titration.

● This is usually done when one of the reactant is an acid

and the other is an alkali (both are in the aqueous state).
 Example: Preparation of Sodium Chloride

In the preparation of NaCl, Na+ and Cl- ions are needed.

Hence, aqueous sodium hydroxide and dilute hydrochloric

acid can be used.

HCl(aq) + NaOH(aq) → NaCl(aq) + H2O(l)

1. Use a pipette to draw a fixed volume, for example 25.0 cm3 of HCl
and put it in a conical flask.
2. Add a few drops of phenolphthalein.
3. Fill up a burette with NaOH.
4. Titrate the HCl with NaOH from the burette.
5. Stop the addition of NaOH once a drop of it changes the
colour of the solution in the conical flask from colourless to
pink. The reaction is completed.
6. The amount of NaOH used can be read from the burette.
7. Repeat steps 1 to 4, but without adding phenolphthalein.
8. Stop the titration when the amount of NaOH used is what was
recorded in step 6.
9. The solution now only contains NaCl and water.
Either evaporation to dryness or crystallisation can be used to extract
dry NaCl from the solution.
 Addition of Excess

The second method of preparing soluble salts is through

addition of excess.

One of the reactants contains the cation while the other contains
the anion of the salt.

This is usually done when one of the reactant is insoluble in

water and the other is in the aqueous state.

The aqueous reactant is usually acid and the insoluble reactant

is usually carbonate, metal or base.
 Example: Preparation of Zinc Sulfate

In the preparation of ZnSO4, Zn2+ and SO42- ions are needed. Hence, zinc metal
and dilute sulfuric acid can be used.

1. Add Zn to a beaker of H2SO4.

2. As Zn is added, it will "disappear" as it reacts with the acid.
3. Stop adding Zn when it does not react anymore (remains as solid in the
solution).
4. Zn is in excess now and the solution now contains ZnSO4.
5. Filter off the excess Zn.
6. Crystallisation can be used to extract dry ZnSO4 from the solution.

Caution: Only use metals that react moderately with acid. Group I metals react
too vigorously and may be dangerous. Preparation of salts using insoluble
carbonates and insoluble bases as the other insoluble reactant is done using the
same steps.
 Reversible Reaction

Many chemical reactions are irreversible.

The reaction stops when at least one of the reactants is

used up.

A forward arrow ( → ) is used in the chemical

equations for irreversible reactions to denote
that the reaction is one way, from reactants
to products.

For example, the reaction of calcium carbonate

with dilute sulfuric acid is irreversible.
Reversible action
There are some chemical reactions that are reversible. The
reaction does not go to completion. The products can react to form
back the reactants.

A two-way arrow ( ) is used in the chemical equations for

reversible reactions to denote that the reaction is two ways, from
reactants to products and from products to reactants. The final
solution contains an equilibrium mixture of reactants and
products.

The equilibrium ratio of reactants to products generally depends on

temperature and pressure.

For example, the reaction between nitrogen gas and hydrogen gas
to form ammonia gas is reversible.

N2(g) + 3H2(g) 2NH3(g)

 Ammonia

● Ammonia (NH3) is a colourless gas with a pungent smell.

● Ammonia can be dissolved in water to form an alkaline solution
NH4OH.
● Damp red litmus paper is used to test ammonia gas. The litmus
paper will turn blue.
● Ammonia has many applications, for example in the production
of fertilisers and cleaning solutions.
● Ammonia is manufactured using hydrogen (from the cracking of
crude oil) and nitrogen (from air) via the Haber process.
The Haber Process
The Haber process is an industrial process for
manufacturing ammonia from hydrogen and nitrogen, in the
ratio of 3 : 1.

Since the reaction between nitrogen and hydrogen is

reversible, there will be leftover of these gases. The
hydrogen and nitrogen that are formed from ammonia, or are
left over, are recycled and are passed through the catalyst
again. Iron catalyst is used in the Haber process.
 Conditions Required For Producing Ammonia

● In addition to the
presence of iron
catalyst, temperature
and pressure play an
important part in the
Haber process since
this is a reversible
process.

● The graph below

shows the percentage
of ammonia formed
with respect to
temperature and
pressure.
Conditions Required For Producing Ammonia

From the graph, it is seen that:

● The higher the pressure, the higher the yield of ammonia.
● The lower the temperature, the higher the yield of
ammonia.

However, very high pressures and low temperatures are not

used because
● Very high pressures involve higher cost and are
dangerous.
● Very low temperatures will slow down the reaction and
the whole process will take a very long time.

At these conditions, each pass of the gases produces

about 15% to 20% ammonia.
 Displacement of Ammonia from its Salts

● For healthy growth of plants, nitrogen is needed.

● Ammonium fertilisers are used because they contain

nitrogen.

● When the soil becomes too acidic, calcium hydroxide is

added to neutralise it.

● However, this may cause the nitrogen content of the soil to

decrease due to the displacement of ammonia from its salts.
For example, ammonium sulfate, a fertiliser, will react with
calcium hydroxide.

(NH4)2SO4(aq) + Ca(OH)2(aq) → 2NH3(g) + 2H2O(l) + CaSO4(s)

The ammonia gas produced escapes into the air and this
causes a decrease in the nitrogen level in the soil.

To prevent this, fertilisers and calcium hydroxide are added at

different times.
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