Unit 1: Acids and Alkalis

Acidic and alkaline solutions

Acids
Acids form acidic solutions in water. Acids are sources of
hydrogen ions, H+. For example, hydrochloric acid produces
hydrogen ions:
Acidic solutions have pH values less than 7.
Acids in the laboratory
Dilute acids
Strong acids such as hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid and nitric
acid are laboratory acids that have been mixed with a lot of water
before putting them out for use. Their bottles are labelled with a
warning symbol to show that they can irritate your skin or cause
some other minor harm to health.

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This means that if any of them makes contact with your skin, it
may become red or blistered. You must wash off any spills with
plenty of water, otherwise your skin may soon feel as if it is
burning.
Concentrated acids
Concentrated acids are acids mixed with very little water. They
are much more dangerous than dilute acids. Concentrated acids
are corrosive. They can attack metals and destroy skin if spilled.
Their bottles are labelled with a warning symbol to show that they
are corrosive.

Weak acids
Laboratory acids are far too dangerous to taste, but you will have
swallowed some dilute weak acids. Acids have a sour taste, like
vinegar, which contains ethanoic acid, and lemons, which contain
citric acid. These are safe to use in food, but they can still hurt if

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they get into a cut or into your eyes. The table shows these and
other acids found in food:

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 Alkalis
Alkalis form alkaline solutions in water. Alkalis are sources of
hydroxide ions, OH-. For example, sodium hydroxide produces
hydroxide ions:
• Alkaline solutions have pH values greater than 7.
• Alkalis feel soapy when they get on your skin, so it is easy to
tell when you have had an accident and must wash your
hands.
❖ Just like concentrated acids, concentrated alkalis are
corrosive. They can attack metals and destroy skin if spilled,
so their containers are labelled with a warning symbol.
Concentrated alkalis are just as dangerous as concentrated
acids, sometimes more dangerous, but many people do not
realise this.

❖ They are often used in household cleaners. For example,

drain cleaners and oven cleaners usually contain sodium
hydroxide. Ammonia is also commonly used in cleaners, and
it can be recognized by its choking smell.
It is wise to wear gloves when using these substances,
otherwise they will react with your skin and burn it.
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 Weak bases and alkalis are found in toothpaste, antacid
tablets (to help cure an upset stomach) and baking powder.

Neutral solutions
A neutral solution is neither acidic nor alkaline. A neutral solution
has a pH value of 7.

Indicators
Acid-alkali indicators can show whether a solution is acidic,
neutral (pH 7) or alkaline.
Examples of indicators :

1) Litmus
2) Methyl orange
3) Phenolphthalein
4) Universal indicators
5) Red cabbage

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 Indicator Acidic Neutral Alkaline

Litmus paper Red Purple Blue

Methyl orange Red Yellow Yellow

Phenolphthalein Colourless Colourless Pink

The pH scale
• The pH scale measures the acidity or alkalinity of a solution.
The pH of a solution can be measured using a pH probe, or
estimated using universal indicator and a colour chart.
The pH scale measures a solution’s acidity or alkalinity. The
range for the pH scale is 0 (strong acid) to 14 (strong alkali).
• pH 0 – 2: strong acid
• pH 3 – 6: weak acid
• pH 7: neutral
• pH 8 – 11: weak alkali
• pH 12 – 14: strong alkali
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 Universal indicator colours and pH values

Indicators and the pH scale

Solutions can be acidic, alkaline or neutral:
• we get an acidic solution when an acid is dissolved in water
• we get an alkaline solution when an alkali is dissolved in water

• solutions that are neither acidic nor alkaline are neutral

Pure water is neutral, and so is petrol.

An indicator is a substance that changes colour when it is added to
acidic or alkaline solutions. You can prepare homemade indicators
from red cabbage or beetroot juice - these will help you see if a
solution is acidic or alkaline.

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Litmus and universal indicator are two indicators that are
commonly used in the laboratory.

Litmus
Litmus indicator solution turns red in acidic solutions and blue in
alkaline solutions. It turns purple in neutral solutions.
Litmus paper is usually more reliable, and comes as red litmus
paper and blue litmus paper. The table shows the colour changes it
can make.

Red litmus Blue litmus

Acidic solution Stays red Turns red

Neutral solution Stays red Stays blue

Alkaline solution Turns blue Stays blue

Notice how we say 'stays red'. This is better than saying 'nothing'
or 'stayed the same', because it tells us the color we actually see.

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Acids turn blue litmus paper red

Alkalis turn red litmus paper blue

Universal indicator and the pH scale

Universal indicator is supplied as a solution or as universal
indicator paper. It is a mixture of several different indicators.
Unlike litmus, universal indicator can show us how strongly acidic
or alkaline a solution is, not just that the solution is acidic or
alkaline. This is measured using the pH scale, which runs from pH
0 to pH 14.

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 Universal indicator has many different color changes, from red for
strongly acidic solutions to dark purple for strongly alkaline
solutions. In the middle, neutral pH 7 is indicated by green.

Colour chart of universal indicator colours at different pH values

When you use universal indicator paper, you get more accurate
results if you only put a small spot of the test solution on the
paper, and then leave the color to develop for about 30 seconds
before comparing it with the color chart.

These are the important points about the pH scale:

• neutral solutions are pH 7 exactly
• acidic solutions have pH values less than 7
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• alkaline solutions have pH values more than 7
• the closer to pH 0 you go, the more strongly acidic a
solution is
• the closer to pH 14 you go, the more strongly alkaline a
solution is

Indicators extracted from plants like (red cabbage)

Red cabbage is used as indicator to check the acidity or
alkalinity of solutions

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Neutralization
Neutralization is the reaction between the hydrogen ions in an acid
and the hydroxide ions in an alkali to produce water.

Acid + alkali salt of metal + water

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Safety
You should always take care in the laboratory, but strong acids and alkalis are particularly
dangerous. Take care with chemicals carrying CLP/GHS international chemical hazard labelling.

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