Acids and Bases

PGCC CHM 101 Sinex

General properties
ACIDS
Taste sour
Turn litmus
React with active
metals Fe, Zn

BASES
Taste bitter
Turn litmus
Feel soapy or
slippery (react with
fats to make soap)
React with acids

React with bases

blue to red

red to blue

Definitions
Arrehenius
only in water

Acids produce H+
Bases - produce OH-

Acids donate H+
Bronsted-Lowry
Bases accept H+
any solvent

Lewis

Acids accept e- pair

Bases donate e- pair

used in organic chemistry,

wider range of substances

The hydrogen ion in aqueous solution

H+ + H2O H3O+ (hydronium ion)

Examples
Arrhenius

HCl

Bronsted-Lowry

HCl

Lewis

BF3

NaOH

HCN

:NH3

NH3

The Bronsted-Lowry Concept

Conjugate pairs
HCl

Cl-

NH4+ NH3

CH3COOH

CH3COO-

HNO3 NO3-

How does a conjugate pair differ?

H+ transfer

Neutralization
In general: Acid + Base Salt + Water
All neutralization reactions are double displacement reactions.

HCl + NaOH

NaCl + HOH

HCl + Mg(OH)2
H2SO4 + NaHCO3

Does pure water conduct electrical current?

Water is a very, very, very weak electrolyte.

H2O H+ + OH-

How are (H+) and (OH-) related?

(H+)(OH-) = 10-14

For pure water: (H+) = (OH-) = 10-7M

This is neutrality and

at 25oC is a pH = 7.
water

Lets examine the behavior of

an acid, HA, in aqueous solution.
HA

What happens to the HA molecules in solution?

100% dissociation of HA
HA
H+

Strong Acid

AWould the
solution be
conductive?

Partial dissociation of HA
HA
H+

Weak Acid

AWould the
solution be
conductive?

HA H+ + AHA
H+
A-

Weak Acid
At any one
time, only a
fraction of
the molecules
are
dissociated.

Strong and Weak Acids/Bases

Strong acids/bases 100% dissociation into ions

HCl
HNO3
H2SO4

NaOH
KOH

Weak acids/bases partial dissociation,

both ions and molecules

CH3COOH

NH3

acid rain (NOx, SOx)

pH of 4.2 - 4.4 in
Washington DC area

pH

0-14 scale for the chemists

2

acidic
(H+) > (OH-)
normal rain (CO2)
pH = 5.3 5.7

neutral @ 25oC
(H+) = (OH-)
distilled water
fish populations
drop off pH < 6
and to zero pH < 5

10

11

basic or alkaline
(H+) < (OH-)
natural
waters pH =
6.5 - 8.5

12

pH of Rainwater

across United States in 2001

You
are
here!

Why is the eastern US more acidic?

http://nadp.sws.uiuc.edu/isopleths

What is acid rain?

Dissolved carbon dioxide lowers the pH
CO2 (g) + H2O H2CO3 H+ + HCO3-

Atmospheric pollutants from combustion

NO, NO2 + H2O HNO3
SO2, SO3 + H2O H2SO4
pH < 5.3

both
strong
acids

Behavior of oxides in water Group A

basic

1A

amphoteric

acidic
3A 4A 5A 6A 7A

2A

Group B

105

Db

107

Bh

basic: Na2O + H2O 2NaOH

(O-2 + H2O 2OH-)

acidic: CO2 + H2O H2CO3

8A

When life goes either way

amphoteric (amphiprotic) substances
Acting like
a base

H+
H2CO3

accepts H+

HCO3-

Acting like
an acid

- H+
CO3-2
donates H+

pH
The biological view in the human body
acidic
1

basic/alkaline
7

10

Tortora & Grabowski, Prin. of Anatomy & Physiology, 10th ed., Wiley (2003)

11

Does the pH influence the

activity of an enzyme?

Trypsin is a digestive enzyme. Where?

Intestinal pH range 7.0-8.5

The amino acid glycine - amphoteric

Its an acid and a base!

Gain of H+

Loss of H+

H3N+-CH2-COOH
H2N-CH2-COOH

H2N-CH2-COOChime structure

The amino acid glycine - Zwitterion formation

Transfer of H+ from carboxylic
acid group to amine group.

A dipolar
ion forms.

H2N-CH2-COOH
Chime structure
H3N+-CH2-COOintramolecular acid-base reaction

Show how water can be amphoteric.

H2O
+

H+

- H+

Dilution
water (solvent)

solute

moles of solute remain constant

Vfinal

diluted, Mfinal
molesinitial = molesfinal

Vinitial

concentrated, Minitial
adding water lowers the solute concentration

Mfinal x Vfinal = Minitial x Vinitial

Titration Calculation
HCl + NaOH

indicator

NaCl + HOH

A way to analyze solutions!

at equivalence point: moleHCl = moleNaOH

moles = M x VL

Macid x Vinitial acid = Mbase x Vburet