Acids, Bases, and Salts

1. Part of the lecture

 History of Acids and Bases
In the early days of chemistry, chemists were organizing
physical and chemical properties of substances. They
discovered that many substances could be placed in two
different property categories:
Substance A Substance B
1. Sour taste 1. Bitter taste
2. Reacts with carbonates to make CO2 2. Reacts with fats to make soaps
3. Reacts with metals to produce H2 3. Do not react with metals
4. Turns blue litmus pink 4. Turns red litmus blue
5. Reacts with B substances to make 5. Reacts with A substances make
salt water salt and water

Arrhenius was the first person to suggest a reason why

substances are in A or B due to their ionization in water.
 What is +
H?

e-
+ +

Hydrogen (H) Proton (H+)

 What is an ACID?
• pH less than 7
• Neutralizes bases
+
• Forms H ions in solution
• Corrosive-reacts with most
metals to form hydrogen gas
• Good conductors of electricity
 Acids Generate Ions

HNO3 + H2O  H3 O+ + NO3

 Weak vs. Strong Acids
• Weak Acids do not ionize completely:
Acetic, Boric, Nitrous, Phosphoric,
Sulfurous
• Strong Acids ionize completely:
Hydrochloric, Nitric; Sulfuric, Hydriodic
 Common Acids
• HCl- hydrochloric- stomach acid
• H2SO4- sulfuric acid - car batteries
• HNO3 – nitric acid - explosives
• HC2H3O2- acetic acid - vinegar
• H2CO3-carbonic acid – sodas
• H3PO4- phosphoric acid -flavorings
Uses of Acids
• Acetic Acid = Vinegar
• Citric Acid = lemons, limes, &
oranges. It is in many sour
candies such as lemonhead &
sour patch.
• Ascorbic acid = Vitamin C
which your body needs to
function.
• Sulfuric acid is used in the
production of fertilizers, steel,
paints, and plastics.
• Car batteries
 What is a BASE?
• pH greater than 7
• Feels slippery
• Dissolves fats and oils
-
• Usually forms OH ions in
solution
• Neutralizes acids
 Weak vs. Strong Bases
• Weak Bases: ammonia; potassium
carbonate, sodium carbonate
• Strong Bases: sodium hydroxide; sodium
phosphate; barium hydroxide; calcium
hydroxide
 Common Bases
• NaOH- sodium hydroxide (LYE) soaps, drain cleaner
• Mg (OH)2 - magnesium hydroxide-antacids
• Al(OH)3-aluminum hydroxide-antacids, deodorants
• NH4OH-ammonium hydroxide- “ammonia”
Uses of Bases
• Bases give soaps, ammonia, and
many other cleaning products
some of their useful properties.
• The OH- ions interact strongly
with certain substances, such as
dirt and grease.
• Chalk and oven cleaner are
examples of familiar products
that contain bases.
• Your blood is a basic solution.
 Types of Acids and Bases
• In the 1800’s chemical concepts were based on the
reactions of aqueous solutions.
• Svante Arrhenius developed a concept of acids
and bases relevant to reactions in H2O.

• Arrhenius acid – produces hydrogen ions in water.

• Arrhenius base – produce hydroxide ions in water.
A broader, more modern concept of acids and
bases was developed later.

Bronsted-Lowry acid- donates a hydrogen ion

in a reaction.
Bronsted – Lowry base – accepts a hydrogen
in a reaction.
• Conjugate acid- compound formed when a
base gains a hydrogen ion.

• Conjugate base – compound formed when

an acid loses a hydrogen ion.
pH Scale
 pH Scale
• pH is a measure of how acidic or basic a
solution is.
• The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14.
• Acidic solutions have pH values below 7
• A solution with a pH of 0 is very acidic.
• A solution with a pH of 7 is neutral.
• Pure water has a pH of 7.
• Basic solutions have pH values above 7.
 pH of Common Substances

Timberlake, Chemistry 7th Edition, page 335

 pH Scale
• A change of 1 pH unit represents a tenfold
change in the acidity of the solution.
• For example, if one solution has a pH of 1 and
a second solution has a pH of 2, the first
solution is not twice as acidic as the second—
it is ten times more acidic.
 Acid – Base Reactions

• A reaction between an acid

and a base is called
neutralization. An acid-base
mixture is not as acidic or
basic as the individual
starting solutions.
Acid – Base reactions

• Each salt listed in this table can

be formed by the reaction
between an acid and a base.
 Reactions with indicators
Indicator Acid Neutral Base
color color color
Phenolphthalein Colorless Faint pink Dark pink

Bromthymol Yellow Green Blue

blue
Litmus Red ----- Blue
pH paper
• pH paper changes
color to indicate a
specific pH value.
 Buffers

• A buffer is a solution that resists changes in

pH when small amounts of acids and bases
are added.
 Situations in which pH is controlled

• “Heartburn”
• Planting vegetables and flowers
• Fish Tanks and Ponds
• Blood
• Swimming pools
 Acids and Bases in Solution
• HCl + H20  H3O + + Cl-
(more hydronium ions, more acidic)
• NaOH in water  Na+ + OH-
(more hydroxide ions, more basic)
• NaOH + HCl  NaCl + HOH
Acid + Base yields type of salt and water
• NH3 + H20  NH4+ + OH-
ammonia gas + water yields ammonium and
hydroxide ions
 Acid Rain
Pollution in the air (sulfur dioxide, carbon
dioxide, nitrogen dioxide) combines with
water to form various acids.
.
Rapid changes in pH can kill
fish and other organisms in
lakes and streams.
Soil pH is affected and can kill
plants and create sinkholes
 What is a SALT?
• A salt is a neutral substance produced from the
reaction of an acid and a base.
• Composed of the negative ion of an acid and the
positive ion of a base.
• One of the products of a Neutralization Reaction
• Examples: KCl, MgSO4, Na3PO4
 Neutralization Reaction
• A neutralization reaction is the reaction of
an acid with a base to produce salt and
water.
• Example
H2SO4 + NaOH  NaHSO4 + H2O

Civil engineers design water and waste

treatment plants for towns and factories.
 Digestion and pH
• Digestion-process by which foods are broken down
into simpler substances.
• Mechanical digestion-physical process in which food
is torn apart (mouth)
• Chemical digestion- chemical reactions in which large
molecules are broken down into smaller molecules.
(stomach and small intestines)
 pH in the Digestive System
• Mouth-pH around 7. Saliva contains amylase, an
enzyme which begins to break carbohydrates into
sugars.
• Stomach- pH around 2. Proteins are broken down
into amino acids by the enzyme pepsin.
• Small intestine-pH around 8. Most digestion ends.
Small molecules move to bloodstream toward
cells that use them
Digestive
system
mouth

esophagus

stomach

small intestine

large intestine
2. Part of the lecture
 Hydronium Ion
Unknown to Arrhenius free H+ ions do not exist in water. They
covalently react with water to produce hydronium ions, H3O+.

or:
H+ (aq) + H2O (l)  H3O+ (aq)
This new bond is called a coordinate covalent bond since
both new bonding electrons come from the same atom
 Hydronium Ion
Hydronium ion is the name for H3O+ and is often times
abbreviated as H+ (aq) they both mean the same thing.
What is the difference between a strong acid and a weak
acid? Strong acids ionize 100% and weak ones do not!
A single arrow is used to represent the ionization of a strong
acid. Double arrows (Equilibrium) are used to represent
weak acids.
For example: HCl (g) H+ (aq) + Cl - (aq)
HF (g) H+ (aq) + F -
According to Arrhenius, is water an acid or base?
HOH (l) H+ (aq) + OH – (aq)

Neither, he called it Neutral (same amount of OH- and H+

 Strong Acids and Bases
How can we identify strong acids or bases?
Easy, memorize them!
Memorized Strong Acids Memorized Strong Bases
1. HClO4 Hydroxides of group 1 and 2
metals, excluding Be and Mg
2. H2SO4
3. HI
4. HBr
5. HCl
6. HNO3
 Arrhenius Theory
The Swedish chemist Svante Arrhenius proposed the first
definition of acids and bases.
(Substances A and B became
known as acids and bases)
According to the Arrhenius model:

“acids are substances that dissociate in water to

produce H+ ions and bases are substances that
dissociate in water to produce OH- ions”

NaOH (aq)  Na+ (aq) + OH- (aq) Base

HCl (aq)  H+ (aq) + Cl- (aq) Acid
 Bronsted Lowry Theory
Johannes Brønsted and Thomas Lowry revised
Arrhenius’s acid-base theory to include this behavior.
They defined acids and bases as follows:

Bronsted Lowry

“An acid is a hydrogen containing species that

donates a proton. A base is any substance that
accepts a proton”
HCl (aq) + H2O (l)  Cl- (aq) + H3O+ (aq)
In the above example what is the Brønsted acid? What is
the Brønsted base?
 Bronsted Lowry Theory
In reality, the reaction of HCl with H2O is an equilibrium
and occurs in both directions, although in this case the
equilibrium lies far to the right.
HCl (aq) + H2O (l)  Cl - ( aq) + H3O+ (aq)

For the reverse reaction Cl - behaves as a Brønsted

base and H3O+ behaves as a Brønsted acid.

The Cl- is called the conjugate base of HCl. Brønsted

acids and bases always exist as conjugate acid-base
pairs.
 Autoionization of Water
In pure water (no solute) water molecules behave as both an
acid and base!!

e.g.
H2O (l) + H2O (l)  H3O+ (aq) + OH- (aq)
This is called the self-ionization (autoionizaion) of water.
Although the equilibrium lies far to the left it is very important to
take into consideration, especially for living systems.
Does anyone know how we write the equilibrium constant for
this reaction?
 Autoionization of Water
The auto-ionization of water is described by the
equation:
H2O (l) + H2O (l)  H3O+ (aq) + OH- (aq)
The equilibrium constant for this reaction is given by:
[H3O  ][ OH ] [H3O  ][ OH ]
K 
[H2O ][H2O ] [H2O ]2
K[H2O ]2  [H3O  ][ OH ]

Kw = K[H2O]2 = 10-14 This equilibrium lies very much

to the left i.e. mostly water. For pure water [OH-] =
[H+] = 1 x 10-7 M
 Autoionization of Water

As [OH-] and [H+] are so small the [H2O] is not affected by their
formation. It is useful to define a new constant Kw such that:
1.00 g mole ml
ml
= 55.5 M
18.0 g 10-3 L

[H3O  ][ OH ] [H3O  ][ OH ]

K 
[H2O ][H2O ] [H2O ]2
K[H2O ]2  K w  [H3O  ][ OH ]
Kw is called the ion product of water.
What is the value for the ion product of water?
[H+][OH-] = 10-14
 Autoionization of Water
We define an aqueous solution as being neutral when the
[H+] = [OH-].

We define an aqueous solution as being acidic when

[H+] > [OH-].

We define an aqueous solution as being basic when

[H+] < [OH-].

However, in each case Kw = 1 x 10-14 M2

[H+] = 0.0000001 = 10-7 (how can this be abbreviated further?)
By just describing the power Called the power of H, or pH.
pH = 7
 Autoionization of Water

The mathematical definition of pH using [H+] for [H3O+] is

listed below:

pH = -log [H+], or [H+]= 1x10-pH (both are mathematically

equivalent)
How about the power for the OH -, what should this be
called? Would you believe pOH?

Have you heard of pOH before?

pH + pOH = 14 for water solutions.

 Buffers
Buffers are extremely important in chemistry and biology. They
maintain a nearly consistent pH in various solutions.

Our blood must maintain a pH around 7.35-7.45. If the pH is

above 7.45 you would have a condition called alkalosis. If the pH
is below 7.35, then one would suffer from acidosis.
Acidosis leads to depression of the nervous system. Mild acidosis
can result in dizziness, disorientation, or fainting; a more severe
case can cause coma, or death.
What would happen to the pH of our blood if we were to eat
acidic foods, such as apples, oranges, or limes? What might
happen to the pH of our blood if some of the hydrochloric acid
from our stomach were to seep into our blood? The pH would
be lower in both
 Despite the possibility of pH increases or decreases, the body
maintains a nearly constant pH of 7.4. The body uses buffers to
maintain this remarkable feat.

What is a buffer and how does it work?

A buffer consists of a weak acid and the salt of its conjugate base,
or a weak base and the salt of its conjugate acid.
Examples:
HF + NaOH NaF + HOH
w.a. c.b.

NH3 + HCl NH4Cl

w.b. c.a.
 HF (g) NaF (s)

Buffer preparation: Add

0.10 mole HF (g) and NaF (s)
to 1.0 L of water.

1.0 L
 HF (g) NaF (s)

Buffer preparation: Add

0.10 mole HF (g) and NaF (s)
to 1.0 L of water.
H+ Na+
F-
HF (g)  H + + F- HF
1.0 L
large small

NaF (s) Na+ + F-

 HCl
Buffer preparation: Add
0.10 mole HF (g) and NaF (s)
to 1.0 L of water.
HF Na+
F-
HF (g)  H + + F- H+
1.0 L
large small

NaF (s) Na+ + F-

Now add the strong acid HCl

 HCl
Buffer preparation: Add
0.10 mole HF (g) and NaF (s)
to 1.0 L of water.
HF Na+
F-
HF (g)  H + + F- H+
small 1.0 L
Large Cl-
H+
NaF (s) Na+ + F-

Now add the strong acid HCl

HCl H+ + Cl- What will the pH be if just water and no
buffer?
 HCl
Buffer preparation: Add
0.10 mole HF (g) and NaF (s)
to 1.0 L of water.
H+ Na+
F-
HF (g)  H+ + F- HF
small 1.0 L
Large Cl-
H+
NaF (s) Na+ + F-

Now add the strong acid HCl

HCl H+ + Cl- What will the pH be if just water and no
buffer? pH = 1, dead if this is your blood.
 HCl
Buffer preparation: Add
0.10 mole HF (g) and NaF (s)
to 1.0 L of water.
H+ Na+
F-
HF (g)  H+ + F- HF
small 1.0 L
Large Cl-
H+
NaF (s) Na+ + F-

Now add the strong acid HCl

HCl H+ + Cl- What will the pH be if just water and no
buffer? pH = 1, dead if this is your blood.
What removes the H+ to keep the pH near 7?
 HCl
Buffer preparation: Add
0.10 mole HF (g) and NaF (s)
to 1.0 L of water.
H+ Na+
F-
HF (g)  H+ + F- HF
small 1.0 L
Large Cl-
H+
NaF (s) Na+ + F-

Now add the strong acid HCl

HCl H+ + Cl- What will the pH be if just water and no
buffer? pH = 1, dead if this is your blood.
What removes the H+ to keep the pH near 7? The conjugate base, F-

H + + F- HF (a weak acid, low H+ )

 NaOH

Buffer preparation: Add

0.10 mole HF (g) and NaF (s)
to 1.0 L of water.
H+ Na+
F-
HF (g)  H+ + F- HF
small 1.0 L
Large OH-
Na+
NaF (s) Na+ + F-

Now add the strong base NaOH

What will the pH be if just water
NaOH Na+ + OH-
and no buffer?
 NaOH

Buffer preparation: Add

0.10 mole HF (g) and NaF (s)
to 1.0 L of water.
H+ Na+
F-
HF (g)  H+ + F- HF
small 1.0 L
Large OH-
Na+
NaF (s) Na+ + F-

Now add the strong base NaOH

What will the pH be if just water and
NaOH Na+ + OH-
no buffer? PH = 13, dead again
What removes the OH- to keep the pH near 7? The acid HF

HF + OH- F- + HOH
 Titration
Titration is an experimental procedure to
determine the concentration of an
unknown acid or base.
The figure on the left shows the
glassware for a titration experiment. A
buret clamp holds the buret to a ring
stand and below the buret is a flask
containing the solution to be titrated,
which includes an indicator. The
purpose of the indicator is to indicate
the point of neutralization by a color
change.
 The picture on the left shows the
tip of a buret, with air bubble,
which is not good, and also shows
the stop-cock. Note the position
of the stop-cock is in the “off”
position. This picture shows the
color of the phenolphthalein
indicator at the end-point. In this
experiment a 23.00 mL aliquot of
0.1000 M NaOH titrant is added to
5.00 mL of an unknown HCL
NaOH + HCl  NaCl + HOH solution. The acid solution in the
beaker starts out clear and
becomes pink when all of the HCL
has been consumed.
 Indicators
Indicators are weak organic (carbon containing) acids of
various colors depending on the formula of the acid.
Below is a generic acid.

HA  H+ + A-
colorless pink

1. Describe the color change when a strong acid is added?

 Indicators
Indicators are weak organic (carbon containing) acids of
various colors depending on the formula of the acid.
Below is a generic acid.
HA  H+ + A- Less pink
colorless pink
1. Describe the color change when a strong acid is added?
 Indicators
Indicators are weak organic (carbon containing) acids of
various colors depending on the formula of the acid.
Below is a generic acid.

HA  H+ + A-
colorless pink
1. Describe the color change when a strong acid is added? Less pink
2. Describe the color change when a strong base is added?
 Indicators
Indicators are weak organic (carbon containing) acids of
various colors depending on the formula of the acid. Below is
a generic acid.
HA  H+ + A-
colorless pink
1. Describe the color change when a strong acid is added? Less pink
2. Describe the color change when a strong base is added? Darker pink
 Indicators
Indicators are weak organic (carbon containing) acids of
various colors depending on the formula of the acid.
Below is a generic acid.

HA  H+ + A-
colorless pink
1. Describe the color change when a strong acid is added? Less pink
2. Describe the color change when a strong base is added? Darker pink
3. Describe the color change when the pH is lowered?
 Indicators
Indicators are weak organic (carbon containing) acids of
various colors depending on the formula of the acid.
Below is a generic acid.
HA  H+ + A-
colorless pink

1. Describe the color change when a strong acid is added? Less pink
2. Describe the color change when a strong base is added? Darker pink
3. Describe the color change when the pH is lowered? Less pink
 Indicators
Indicators are weak organic (carbon containing) acids of
various colors depending on the formula of the acid.
Below is a generic acid.

HA  H+ + A-
colorless pink

1. Describe the color change when a strong acid is added? Less pink
2. Describe the color change when a strong base is added? Darker pink
3. Describe the color change when the pH is lowered? Less pink
4. Describe the color change when the pH is raised?
 Indicators
Indicators are weak organic (carbon containing) acids of
various colors depending on the formula of the acid.
Below is a generic acid.

HA  H+ + A-
colorless pink
1. Describe the color change when a strong acid is added? Less pink
2. Describe the color change when a strong base is added? Darker pink
3. Describe the color change when the pH is lowered? Less pink
4. Describe the color change when the pH is raised? Darker pink
Color versus pH of Many Different indicators
How can we make an indicator?
How can we make an indicator?
Step One Step Two Step Three

Red Cabbage Cook the Cabbage Filter the Juice

What color is the juice after filtering?