CI 8.

1 Acids and Bases

Acids
 Turn litmus red

 Neutralised by bases

 pH < 7

 Liberate CO2 from carbonates

BrØnsted-Lowry Theory
 An acid is an H+ donor

 A base is an H+ acceptor

 H+Cl- + NH3  Cl- + NH4+

The oxonium ion
 An acid reacts with water to form
oxonium ions

 HCl + H2O  H3O+ + Cl-

 Water is acting as a base

The oxonium ion

H x H+
O
x
What type of
H bond is this?
Is there a difference between an alkali
and a base?

A base is a
substance
which accepts
H+ ions

Alkali = a
base which
forms OH-
ions in water
How are hydroxide ions (OH-) made?

 NaOH Na+ + OH-

 CO32- + H2O HCO3- + OH-

 NH3 + H 2O NH4+ + OH-

Acid – base pairs
 CH3COOH CH3COO- + H+
 CH3COO- + H+ CH3COOH

The ethanoate ion can behave as a

base; it is the conjugate base of
ethanoic acid.
 HA H+ + A-
Conjugate Conjugate
acid base
 Every acid has a conjugate base
 Every base has a conjugate acid
Amphoteric substances
 Water can act as either an acid or a
base

 With a strong acid it acts as a base

 With a strong base it acts as an acid

 A substance which behaves in this

way is said to be amphoteric
Water as an amphoteric substance

 Water in the presence of a strong

acid:
H3O+ H+ + H2O

 Water in the presence of a strong

base:
H2O H+ + OH-
Strength of acids and bases
 A strong acid is a powerful H+
donor; it is fully dissociated
 A weak acid is a moderate or weak
H+ donor; it is weakly dissociated
 A strong acid has a weak conjugate
base and vice versa
Indicators
 Coloured organic substances
 Weak acids
 Conjugate acid and conjugate base
forms are different colours
 e.g. litmus:
HIn H+ + In-
Which is the
red blue acid form?
Addition of acid
 In- + H3O+ HIn + H2O

 The blue litmus turns red

What is the
equation for
addition of
alkali?