ACIDS AND BASES

for GENERAL CHEMISTRY 2/Grade 12

Quarter 4 / Week 3
APRIL 15-19, 2024
OBJECTIVES
At the end of the lesson, the learners are expected to:
K : describe Bronsted-Lowry acids and bases, and the acid-base
properties of water.
S : classify substances as Bronsted-Lowry acid with its conjugate
base, and Bronsted base and its conjugate acids.
A : recognize the importance of understanding Bronsted-Lowry
acids and bases.

LEARNING COMPTENCIES
- Define Bronsted acids and bases (STEM_GC11ABIVf-g-153)
- Discuss the acid-base property of water (STEM_GC11ABIVf-g-
154)
- Calculate pH from the concentration of hydrogen ion or
hydroxide ion in aqueous solutions (STEM_GC11ABIVf-g-156)
I. WHAT I NEED TO KNOW
DISCUSSION

What comes in your mind when you hear the word acid or a
base? Maybe you will associate an acid and a base to a substance
that taste sour and bitter, respectively. Table1, shows the general
properties of an acid and a base.

Table 1. General Properties of an Acid and a Base

Property Acid Base
Taste Sour Bitter
 Smell Frequently burn nose Usually, no smell except NH3
Texture Sticky Slippery
Reactivity Frequently react with React with many oils and
metals to form H2 fats
Source: https://www.factmonster.com/math-science/chemistry/chemistry-properties-of-
acids-and-bases

According to the properties listed in Table 1, you are right

when you associate acids and bases to substances with sour and
bitter taste. But what is really an acid and a base? Have you
encountered already the different theories that defined an acid
and a base?

Arrhenius theory, Bronsted-Lowry theory, and Lewis or

electron-pair theory are the three theories that point out a specific
characteristic which defines an acid and a base. For instance,
Svante Arrhenius formulated a theory that defines an acid and a
base as substances that when ionize in water produce hydrogen
ions (H+) and hydroxide ions (OH -). However, Arrhenius theory could
not explain why salt having no H+ or OH- still exhibit the property of
an acid or a base upon dissolving in water.

In this lesson, we will define an acid and a base according to

the Bronsted-Lowry theory.

What is Bronsted-Lowry acids and bases?

Johannes Nicolaus Bronsted, a Danish chemist, and Thomas Martin

Lowry, an English chemist, introduced the Bronsted-Lowry theory of
acids and bases. They defined an acid as a substance that is capable
of transferring protons, the positively charge ion(H +), and a base as
substance capable of accepting protons. Substances that behave
based on the given definition, are classified as Bronsted acids and
Bronsted bases. When an acid reacts with a base, a proton (H+) will
transfer from acid towards the base. The product that will be formed
after an acid loses H+ is called the conjugate base while the product
that will be formed after a base accepts H+ is called the conjugate
acid.
 In the reaction of HCl and NH3, as shown in Figure 1, HCl
donates hydrogen ion (H+) towards ammonia (NH3) forming
ammonium ion (NH4+), the conjugate acid, and chloride ion (Cl-),
the conjugate base.

Acid-Base Property of Water

A compound like water, H2O, that contains both a hydrogen

atom and a lone pair of electrons can act as an acid or a base,
depending on the specific reaction. Compound exhibiting such
property is called amphoteric.

• H2O acts as an acid -When water acts as an acid, it will donate

proton to the base.
• H2O acts as a base- When water acts as a base, it will accept
proton.

Water can also undergo self-ionization or auto-ionization, the

process occurs when water molecules react with another molecule
to form H3O+ and OH-.

Practice Exercise 1. Label each reactant as A1 for Bronsted-Lowry

acid or B1 for Bronsted-Lowry base and each product as CA,
for conjugate acid or CB for conjugate base. Then, write the
conjugate acid-base pair.
Example: SO4-2(aq) + H2O(l) → HSO4-(aq) + OH-(aq)
B1 A1 CA CB
Answer: Conjugate Acid-base pair: H2O/OH-; HSO4-/SO42-

1. CH3COOH(aq) + H2O(l) →CH3COO-(aq) + H3O+(aq)

2. NH3(aq) + HF(aq) → NH4+(aq) + F-(aq)
3. OH-(aq) + H2SO4(aq) → H2O(l) + HSO4-(aq)

Answer: 1) A1, B1; CB, CA (CH3COOH/CH3COO-; H2O/H3O+)

2) B1, A1; CA, CB (NH 3/NH 4+4; HF/F -)
3) B1, A1; CA, CB (OH-/H 2O; H 2SO4/

Calculations Involving Acids and Bases

Earlier, we discuss Bronsted-Lowry acids and bases, and acid-

base properties of water. Since water can be classified as an acid
and a base, two water molecules can react together in an acid-
base reaction.

The equilibrium constant expression for water is:

Experimentally, the value of ionization constant for water, Kw,

is 1.0x10-14. Upon ionization the concentration of H3O+ and OH- is
equal, therefore, [H3O+] = [OH] = 1.0x10-7. When, [H3O+] =[OH], the
aqueous solution is said to be neutral. If, [H3O+]>[OH], the solution
is acidic and if, [H3O+] <[OH] the solution is basic.

Since the [H3O+] and [OH] are usually very small, Soren
Sorensen in 1909, proposed a more practical way of expressing
acidity of solution. He called it pH of solution and is defined as a
scale used to specify the acidity or basicity of an aqueous solution.
It is determined by taking the negative logarithm of the
concentration of H3O+ or H+.

pH = - log [H+]
 In addition, the pH of solution ranges from 1to 14. If the pH
value is below 7, the solution is acidic, if above 7, the solution is
basic, and if pH is equal to 7, the solution is neutral (see Figure 1).

Figure 1. pH Range and pH Values of some Materials

Source: https://www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/wp-content/uploads/ 2019/11/860_SS_pH.png

Also, Figure 1 shows some pH values of substances that can

be found at home like milk (pH value of around 6), bleach (pH value
of around 12). It is also being shown in the above Figure the pH of
gastric acid or stomach acid, a colorless fluid produced by our
stomach that helps in the breaking down of food for easier
digestion.

Example 1. The concentration of OH- in certain household

cleaning solution is 0.0025 M. Calculate the concentration of H3O+
or H+.

Given: [OH-] = 0.0025 M

[H3O+] =?
Solution: Kw = [H3O+] [OH-]
Example 2. What is the pH of a sample that has an H+
concentration of 1 × 10–5 M? Classify the solution as acidic, basic,
or neutral.
pH = -log [H+]
pH = -log (1x10-5)
pH = 5.0 (since it is below 7.0, the sample is acidic)

Also, the given pH value of the solution can be used to

determine the [H+] by taking the antilogarithm of pH,

[H3O+] = antilog pH
[H3O+] = 10-pH

Example 3. What H+ concentration that corresponds to each pH

value: (a) 10.2; (b) 4.3?

a. [H+] = antilog(-pH)
= 10-pH
= 10-10.2
= 6.3x10-11 or 6x10-11
b. [H+] = antilog(-pH)
= 10-pH
= 10-4.3
= 5x10-5
REFERENCES

Ball, David W, and Jessie A Key. 2014. “Brønsted-Lowry Acids and

Bases.” Opentextbc.ca. Campus. September 16, 2014.
https://opentextbc.ca/introductorychemistry/chapter/brons
ted-lowry-acids-and-bases-2/ (accessed date: January 26,
2021)

“Brønsted Acids and Bases.” n.d. Chemed.chem.purdue.edu.

http://chemed.chem.purdue.edu/genchem/topicreview/b
p/ch11/bronsted.php.

“Ph Scale Range - Google Search.” n.d. Www.google.com.

Accessed January 13, 2022.
https://www.google.com/search?q=ph+scale+range&sourc
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“Søren Sørensen.” 2016. Science History Institute. June 1, 2016.

https://www.sciencehistory.org/historical-profile/soren-
sorensen#:~:text=Such%20was%20the%20case%20with.

“Water, Acids, and Bases.” n.d. Chemed.chem.purdue.edu.

Accessed January 13, 2022.
http://chemed.chem.purdue.edu/genchem/topicreview/b
p/ch17/water.php.