KS3 Chemistry

7E Acids and Alkalis

1 of 34
20 © Boardworks Ltd 2004
 Contents

7E Acids and Alkalis

What are acids and alkalis?

Hazard symbols

Indicators and the pH scale

Neutralization

Summary activities

1 of 34
2 20 © Boardworks Ltd 2004
 What is an acid?
Acids are a group of chemicals.
What do you know about acids? Are all acids dangerous?

1 of 34
3 20 © Boardworks Ltd 2004
 What is an acid?
Acids are a group of chemicals.
Which of these items contains an acid?

everyday acids laboratory acids

Can you think of other examples of acids?

1 of 34
4 20 © Boardworks Ltd 2004
 What is a weak acid?
Acids are found in household items such as food, drink
and beauty/skincare products.

It is safe to handle these acids and even taste them, if they

are for eating! These acids are known weak acids.

1 of 34
5 20 © Boardworks Ltd 2004
 What is a strong acid?
Some acids, like those found in the laboratory or a car
battery, are very dangerous (too dangerous to taste or touch).

These acids are said to be corrosive as they can damage

other materials by wearing them away! They are strong acids.
Why must strong acids always be handled very carefully?

1 of 34
6 20 © Boardworks Ltd 2004
 What is an alkali?
Alkalis are another group of chemicals, the opposite of acids.
Which of these items contains an alkali?

everyday alkalis laboratory alkalis

Can you think of other examples of alkalis?

1 of 34
7 20 © Boardworks Ltd 2004
 What is a weak alkali?
Alkalis are found in soaps and other materials used for
cleaning.

It is safe to handle these alkalis, which can feel soapy.

These alkalis are known as weak alkalis.

1 of 34
8 20 © Boardworks Ltd 2004
 What is a strong alkali?
Some alkalis, like those in the laboratory or in cleaning
materials such as toilet cleaner, are too dangerous to touch.

These alkalis are said to be caustic because they can burn

skin and damage other materials! They are strong alkalis.
Why must strong alkalis always be handled very carefully?

1 of 34
9 20 © Boardworks Ltd 2004
 Contents

7E Acids and Alkalis

What are acids and alkalis?

Hazard symbols

Indicators and the pH scale

Neutralization

Summary activities

1 ofof20
10 34 © Boardworks Ltd 2004
 What are hazard symbols?
How can you tell which chemicals are safe and which are
dangerous?
Special symbols are used on bottles and vehicles that
contain dangerous chemicals.

i h

toxic irritant harmful corrosive highly

flammable
These hazard symbols show why the chemical is dangerous.
Why is it important that these symbols can be recognised by
people from other countries?
1 ofof20
11 34 © Boardworks Ltd 2004
 What do hazard symbols mean?

1 ofof20
12 34 © Boardworks Ltd 2004
 Contents

7E Acids and Alkalis

What are acids and alkalis?

Hazard symbols

Indicators and the pH scale

Neutralization

Summary activities

1 ofof20
13 34 © Boardworks Ltd 2004
 What is an indicator?
How can you test a liquid to find if it is an acid or an alkali?
An indicator is a special chemical that changes
to a different colour in an acid or an alkali.

Litmus paper and litmus solution are

examples of indicators.

Litmus is Litmus is
red in acid. blue in alkali.

1 ofof20
14 34 © Boardworks Ltd 2004
 Litmus test experiment

1 ofof20
15 34 © Boardworks Ltd 2004
 What is universal indicator?
Litmus is used to show if a solution is acid or alkali.
Litmus does not show if the acid or alkali is weak or strong.
Universal indicator has a range of colours that show how
weak or strong the acid or alkali is.

stronger acid stronger alkali

strong weak weak strong

acid acid neutral alkali alkali
What is the colour for a weak acid?
What is the colour for a strong alkali?
1 ofof20
16 34 © Boardworks Ltd 2004
 What is the pH scale?
The strength of an acid or alkali is measured by the pH scale.
Each universal indicator colour is given a number called
the pH value.
Universal indicator can tell you the pH of a solution.

stronger acid stronger alkali

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
strong weak weak strong
acid acid neutral alkali alkali
What is the pH of a weak acid?
What is the pH of strong alkali?
1 ofof20
17 34 © Boardworks Ltd 2004
 What is the pH?

1 ofof20
18 34 © Boardworks Ltd 2004
 What type of substance?
Are these substances acidic or alkaline?
Are they weak or strong?

Substance pH Description of acid/alkali

soda water 6 very weak acid
car battery acid 1 very strong acid
soap 8 very weak alkali
washing soda 10 weak alkali
stomach acid 2 strong acid
oven cleaner 14 very strong alkali
vinegar 4 weak acid

acid 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 alkali

1 ofof20
19 34 © Boardworks Ltd 2004
 Contents

7E Acids and Alkalis

What are acids and alkalis?

Hazard symbols

Indicators and the pH scale

Neutralization

Summary activities

1 ofof20
20 34 © Boardworks Ltd 2004
 Mixing an acid and an alkali
What happens when an acid and an alkali are mixed?

?
Mixing an acid and an alkali causes a chemical change.
This chemical change is called a chemical reaction.
How do you know this chemical reaction has taken place?

1 ofof20
21 34 © Boardworks Ltd 2004
 What is neutralization?
The chemical reaction between an acid and an alkali
is called neutralization.

acid alkali a salt water

What happens to the pH value of the reaction mixture during

neutralization?
The pH value of the reaction mixture becomes closer to 7.

1 ofof20
22 34 © Boardworks Ltd 2004
 What is neutralization?

The chemical reaction between an an acid and an alkali

can be written as:

acid alkali a salt water

What are the two new substances produced by a

neutralization reaction?

1 ofof20
23 34 © Boardworks Ltd 2004
 Neutralization and indigestion

1 ofof20
24 34 © Boardworks Ltd 2004
 Neutralizing stings

A bee sting A wasp sting

is acidic. is alkaline.

Why can bicarbonate Why can vinegar (pH 3)

of soda (pH 9) be used be used to treat
to treat a bee sting? a wasp sting?

1 ofof20
25 34 © Boardworks Ltd 2004
 Neutralizing soil
Soils in different places can
be acidic, alkaline or neutral.

Many plants do not grow

well in acidic soil.

Why do farmers test soil

to check the pH?

Farmers often add an alkali to acidic soil to make their

plants grow better.

How does the alkali help to treat the acidic soil?

1 ofof20
26 34 © Boardworks Ltd 2004
 Neutralizing acid rain
Gases emitted by cars, power
stations and factories mix with
rainwater in the atmosphere.
This rainwater has a pH <5.5.
Why is it called acid rain?

Acid rain can have a harmful

effect on the environment
killing trees, polluting lakes
and damaging buildings.

How can the effects of

acid rain be prevented?

1 ofof20
27 34 © Boardworks Ltd 2004
 Contents

7E Acids and Alkalis

What are acids and alkalis?

Hazard symbols

Indicators and the pH scale

Neutralization

Summary activities

1 ofof20
28 34 © Boardworks Ltd 2004
 Glossary
 acid – A chemical that has a pH less than 7.
 alkali – A chemical that has a pH greater than 7 and
dissolves in water.
 indicator – A special chemical that changes into different
colours in acid and alkali solutions.
 neutral – A chemical with a pH of 7 that is not an acid or
an alkali.
 neutralization – The chemical reaction between an acid
and an alkali.
 pH scale – The range of values that shows how strong or
weak an acid or alkali is.
 universal indicator – The indicator that shows the pH
value of a chemical.

1 ofof20
29 34 © Boardworks Ltd 2004
 Anagrams

1 ofof20
30 34 © Boardworks Ltd 2004
 Word search

1 ofof20
31 34 © Boardworks Ltd 2004
 Facts about acids

 Weak acids, like lemon juice and vinegar, taste sour.

 Strong acids are corrosive and can “eat away” at metal,
stone and flesh!
 Acids turns blue litmus paper red.
 Acids have a pH of less than 7.
 Acids can be neutralized with alkalis.

1 ofof20
32 34 © Boardworks Ltd 2004
 Facts about alkalis

 Alkalis feel soapy and are used in household cleaning

materials.
 Strong alkalis are caustic.
 Alkalis turn red litmus paper blue.
 Alkalis have a pH of more than 7.
 Alkalis can be neutralized with acids.

1 ofof20
33 34 © Boardworks Ltd 2004
 Multiple-choice quiz

1 ofof20
34 34 © Boardworks Ltd 2004