Arrhenius Theory

Acids & Bases

Acids Properties
• 1-Taste Sour ehn diluted enough to be tasted
• 2-Cause litmus to change from blue to red.
• 3-React with active metals such as magnesium ,
zinc , and iron to produce hydrogen gas ,H²

• Example: hydrochloric acid reacts with magnesium metal to produce

hydrogen gas and magnesium chloride

• 2HCl(ac) + Mg → H²(g) + MgCl²

Acids Properties
• 4- React with Bases (compounds that contain
OH‫ ־‬ions , hydroxide ions) to form water and
salts.The salt that is formed is made up o the
cation from the base and the anion prom the
acid.
• Example: hydrochloric acid , HCl , reacts with potassium
hydroxide ,KOH, to form water and potassium chloride , KCl , a salt.

• HCl(aq) + KOH(aq) → H²O + KCL

Neutralization
• The reaction of an acid with a base is called
neutralization. A salt and water are formed when
neutralization takes place.
Bases or Alkalies
• Are substances that , in aqueos solution would:
• 1-Taste Bitter
• 2-Feel slippery or soapy on the skin
• 3-Couse red litmus to change from red to blue
• 4-Reac with acids to form water and salts.

• Arrhenius explained that these properties were

properties of the OH‫ ־‬ion. He proposed that
bases realese OH‫ ־‬in aqueos solutions.
Hydrogen Ions or Hydronium Ions
• Simple H+ dont exist in water solutions. When a
hydrofen atom is stripped from its only electron , all
that is left is a proton on the nucleos , a H+.
• H+ is to reactive to exist as a stable ion in solution.
We know today thatc acidic solutions dont contain
single H+ , Instead the acidity is due to the presence
of H3O+ions , (hydrated protons). Each H3O+ ion is
called hydronium ion , can be pictured as a H+
bonded to a water molecule by sharing a pair of
electrons with the oxygen of the water molecule.
Hydronium Ion
• H3O+ Is very reactive , it can readily transfer a
H+ , just a single proton , to other molecules and
ions.

• We may talk about the hydrogen ions in a

solution , but we are actually dealing with
hydronium ions in solution ; the two terms are
used interchangeably.
Monoprotic , Diprotic and Triprotic Acids.
• Acids such as HCl and HNO3 give up a H+ , a
proton , are called monoprotic acids.
• Certain acids give up more than one proton (or
hydrogen ion) , for example  H2SO4  is a diprotic
acid , it can give up two protons.
• Similarly , phosphoric acid , H3PO4 is a triprotic
acid .
Not all Hydrogen atoms in a compound are
acidic.
• None of the H atoms bonded to carbon in HC4 is
given up in aqueos solution. Also only one of the
H atoms in acetic acid is acidic. This is why the
formula for acetic acid is frecuantly written
CH3COOH to emphasize that only one proton (the
proton of the carboxyl group –COOH group) is
realesed.

• Hydrogen atoms covalently bonded to carbon

atoms do not tend to ionize ; they are not acidic.