Acids & Bases

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 Lesson 1: Properties and Nomenclature
Brackets [ ] mean concentration, or Molarity (M).
EX: [H+] = 1M means “the concentration of hydrogen ions is 1M.”
Acids
A compound that produces ______________ ions when dissolved in water.
EX: Vinegar = acetic acid, Lemon juice = citric acid, Sour candy = malic acid, Milk = lactic acid
Properties
• Sour taste
• Reacts with (corrodes) metals to form H2 gas.
o EX: Zn + HCl → ZnCl2 + H2
• Turns blue litmus paper red
• Aqueous solutions of acids are electrolytes
• React with bases to form salt and water
o EX: NaOH + HCl → NaCl + H2O
Naming Acids
Binary Acids – bonded to one nonmetal
• Hydro – root – ic.
• Example: HBr - ______________________________
Ternary Acids – bonded to a polyatomic ion (AKA oxo-acids or oxyacids)
• Begin with polyatomic ion without the suffix
• Add suffix -ic if polyatomic ion ends in -ate
o Example: HNO3 - __________________________________
• Add suffix -ous if polyatomic ion ends in -ite
o Example: HNO2 - __________________________________
Note: When the acid anion contains sulfur or phosphorus the roots are sulfur- and phosphor-, so H2SO4 is
sulfuric acid and H3PO4 is phosphoric acid.
Acid Strength
Strong acids completely ____________________, or dissociate, in water. All
the acid breaks into ions.
Weak acids do not ionize completely in solution. Some acids stay
_________________________ instead of ionizing.
There are three strong binary acids:
__________________________________________________________
There are four strong ternary acids:
_____________________________________________________________
All other binary and ternary acids are weak.
 Bases
A compound that produces _____________ ions when dissolved in water.
EX: Milk of Magnesia = Mg(OH)2, Drain Cleaner = NaOH, Window Cleaner = NH3
Ammonia in water makes ammonium and hydroxide!
Properties
• Bitter taste
• Feels slippery to the touch
• Turns red litmus paper blue
• Aqueous solutions of bases are electrolytes
• React with acids to form salt and water
o EX: NaOH + HCl → NaCl + H2O

Naming Bases
Use the same rules as for polyatomic ions (name the cation, then the anion).
1. NH3 = Ammonia
2. NaOH - ___________________________________________
3. Ca(OH)2 - ___________________________________________
4. KOH - ___________________________________________
5. Mg(OH)2 - ___________________________________________
Base Strength
Strong bases completely ionize in water. All bases break into ions.
• All hydroxides with group ____ and ____ metals (except Be) are strong bases.
• LiOH, NaOH, KOH, RbOH, CsOH
• Mg(OH)2, Ca(OH)2, Sr(OH)2, Ba(OH)2, Ra(OH)2
• Though some of the above are slightly soluble or insoluble in water, what dissolves ionizes completely.
Weak bases ionize only slightly. Some of the base stays intact instead of ionizing.
• All bases not listed above are weak.
 Lesson 2: Self-Ionization of Water & Calculating M and pH
In any sample of water, small but equal amount of H+ and OH- ions
will form, creating conjugate pairs. This is called the self-
ionization of water.
Equal concentrations of [H+] and [OH-] are present at 1.0x10-7 M at
room temperature. This is neutral, neither acid or base.
As [H+] ↑, [OH-] ↓ or As [OH-] ↑, [H+] ↓
When you have a greater [H+], the solution is an acid. When you have a greater [OH-], the solution is a base.
Because the two values are inversely related, the product of [H+] x [OH-] = 1.0x10-14 M2. This is Kw, the ion
product constant of water.
Kw = [H+] x [OH-] = 1.0x10-14 M2
Using Kw, we can solve for the acid or base counterpart of a known value because we are working with an
aqueous solution. Mathematically, the formula can be manipulated to show…
𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏−𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏 𝑴𝑴𝟐𝟐 𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏−𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏 𝑴𝑴𝟐𝟐
[H+] = OR [OH-] =
[𝑶𝑶𝑶𝑶− ] [𝑯𝑯+ ]

Practice: [OH-] = 2.5x10-5 M. Calculate [H+]

Practice: [H+] = 8.90x10-2 M. Calculate [OH-]

In an acid, [H+] > [OH-] so… [H+] > 1.0x10-7 M

In a base, [OH-] > [H+] so… [OH-] > 1.0x10-7 M
Practice: Identify whether the solution is acidic or basic.
A. [H3O+] = 1.0x10-3 _____________
B. [H3O+] = 1.0x10-11 _____________
C. [OH-] = 1.0x10-4 _____________

pH Scale
• pH range is from 0 to 14
• pH value 0 – 7 is acidic, 7 is neutral, 7 – 14 is basic
• Using a calculator, we use the [H+] and the “log” key to
generate pH
• pH is a base 10 logarithm
• We do this to work on the whole number scale
• A logarithm is the power to which 10 must be raised to create a certain number. In this case, the power is
pH or pOH.
• Log10(10Y) = Y
o Example: log(1.0x101) = 1 Example: log(1.0x10-5) = -5
• pH is a negative log, because the value is very small and thus has a
negative exponent. We want pH to be positive.
pH = -log[H+]
To convert from [H+] to pH with most any calculator…
If [H+] = 3.09x10-5 M
• Press (-) log 3.09 EE (-) 5 pH is 4.510
• Sometimes the log key is log10
• You must use the (-) or +/- key, NOT “minus”
Sig Figs and pH
The number of sig figs in the coefficient of the concentration is
the number of digits to keep AFTER THE DECIMAL in the pH.
Example: pH = -log(3.09x10-5) = 4.510
Practice: Find the pH if [H3O+] = 5.0x10-6 M

pOH Scale
• We can calculate the pOH in the same manner as pH
• pOH is the mirror image of pH, perfectly opposite!
• pOH range is also from 0 to 17 and fluctuates inversely with pH
• pOH value 0 – 7 is basic, 7 is neutral, 7 – 14 is acidic
Recall: [H+] x [OH-] = 1.0x10-14 M2
Because pH and pOH are also inversely related, we know that pH + pOH = 14.00
Practice: Calculate the pH or pOH.
1. pH = 6.0; pOH = _______ 3. pOH = 3.0; pH = _______
2. pH = 4.0; pOH = _______ 4. pOH = 11.0; pH = _______
Finding [H3O+] and [OH-]
Given pH or pOH, we can determine [ ] by using the inverse of the log! To find [H+], set 10 to the power of the
-pH. Same idea for pOH.
[H3O+] = 10 – pH [OH-] = 10 – pOH
Example: pH = 4.510, to solve, find [H3O+] = 10 – 4.510 ; this gives an answer of 3.09x10-5 M
To convert FROM pH to [H+] with any calculator, push “10X” then (-) 4.510, then enter.
A Challenging Scenario
Given molarity of a solution containing only an acid, always consider that if acid concentration is LESS than the
[H+] that water forms naturally, the pH of the solution will be 7, not the -log of the very low [H+].
Practice: A 5.44x10-11 M solution of hydrochloric acid has a pH of…
Calculations Practice
Practice: Find the pH if… Find the pOH if…
1. [H3O+] = 1.0x10-4 M 5. [OH-] = 1x10-4
2. [H3O+] = 1.0x10-13 M 6. [OH-] = 1x10-4
3. [H3O+] = 1.0x10-5 M 7. [H3O+] = 1x10-7
4. [OH-] = 1.0x10-5 M 8. [H3O+] = 1.34x10-8
If the concentration is not a whole number exponent, we must use the formula.
Practice: Find [H3O+] and [OH-]
9. If the pH of a solution is 4.92, what is the [H3O+]?

10. If the pOH of a solution is 9.29, what is the [OH-]?

Equations “Magical Box of pH Power”

pH = -log[H+]
pOH = -log[OH-]
[H3O+] = 10 – pH
[OH-] = 10 – pOH
[H+][OH-] = 1x10-14
pH + pOH = 14

Practice: Complete the table.

pH pOH [H3O+] [OH-] Acid / Base / Neutral

4.9

6.8

1.39x10-5

9.85x10-11
 Lesson 3: Indicators, Neutralization, & Titrations
Indicators are substances (usually weak acids) that
change color in solutions of different pH. They are
one color in acids and a different color in bases.
• HIn ↔ H+ + In-
• Help determine approximate pH
• Limitations
o Color is subjective
o Ranges are narrow – sig figs?
o Colors can fade
Practice: Identify the pH of the substances that turn
the following colors in the presence of the listed
indicators. Hint: Use a number line!
Indicator Substance A
Phenolphthalein Colorless
Methyl Red Yellow
Bromothymol blue Blue
pH

Indicator Substance A
Phenolphthalein Colorless
Methyl Red Red
Bromothymol blue Yellow
pH

Neutralization
When acids are mixed with bases in equal quantities of hydronium and hydroxide ions, neutralization takes
place. Acid + Base → Water + a Salt Example: 2 HBr + Ca(OH)2 → H2O + CaBr2
Practice: Write the balanced chemical equation for these reactions.
1. Nitric acid and potassium hydroxide.

2. Sulfuric acid and magnesium hydroxide.

 Titrations
A titration is a process in which a neutralization reaction is used to determine
the molarity of an unknown solution.
A known solution, the titrant, is dripped carefully into an unknown solution,
the analyte, containing an indicator. When the new solution is at equivalent
concentrations of [H+] and [OH-], the analyte concentration can be calculated.
Vocabulary
Equivalence Point – point of neutrality in a titration. For an acid/base
titration, this is when # moles of [H+] = # moles of [OH-].
Endpoint – point at which an indicator used in a titration changes color.
• Choose an indicator that will give color change when you reach equivalence, so you want the endpoint to be
as close to the equivalence point as possible!
Buffer – a solution that can resist pH change upon the addition of an acidic or basic component.
• It is able to neutralize small amounts of added acid or base, thus maintaining the pH of the solution and
keeping it relatively stable. Example: Blood
To solve a titration (molarity of the unknown analyte):
1. You must work from a balanced chemical equation.
a. The mole ratio of acid to base is critical!
2. Write known quantities below reactants.
3. Use stoichiometry, starting the with volume of titrant (in L), convert to moles of titrant using the known
molarity.
4. Then convert moles of titrant to moles of analyte using the mole ratio.
5. Solve for concentration of the analyte by dividing by volume of analyte (in L) used in the titration.
Practice:
1. 25.0 mL of 1.00 M KOH are added to 46.4 mL of unknown molarity HCl to reach equivalence in a titration.
What is the molarity of the acid?

2. A 25.0 mL solution of sulfurous acid (H2SO3) of unknown molarity is completely neutralized by 18 mL of

1.0 M NaOH. What is the molarity of the acid?
 Titration Curves

Strong Acid Titrated with Strong Base Weak Acid Titrated with Strong Base

Strong Base Titrated with Strong Acid Weak Base Titrated with Strong Acid
 Lesson 4: Theory
The Hydronium Ion
Hydrogen ions are not really “free” in an acidic solution. Water molecules strip the hydrogen from the anion
forming the hydronium ion (H3O+) . This happens when an acid is dissolved in H2O. H2O and H+ combine to
form H3O+. Example: HCl + H2O ↔ H3O+ + Cl-
[H3O+] and [H+] are interchangeable, you will see both used throughout chemistry!

The Hydrogen Ion

A hydrogen ion is a proton! Hydrogen atoms contain a single proton and an electron, so when it loses an
electron, all that remains is a proton. Hence, hydrogen ions (H+) are often referred to as protons.

Amphoteric Substances
Amphoteric substances act as an acid in some reactions (donate H+) and as a base in others (accept H+).
Examples: H2O, NH3
How Protic Is It?
Acids can be defined by how many H+ ions they can donate.
• Monoprotic can give 1 H+ ion. Example: _________
• Diprotic can give 2 H+ ions. Example: __________
• Triprotic can give 3 H+ ions. Example: _________
How Basic Is It?
Bases can be defined by how many H+ ions they can accept.
• Monobasic can accept 1 H+ ion. Example: __________
• Dibasic can accept 2 H+ ions. Example: ________
• Tribasic can accept 3 H+ ions. Example: _________

Strength vs Concentration
Compare solution by type AND relative concentration.
1. 0.1 M HCl vs 0.1 M HBr 3. 0.1 M HCl vs 0.1 M HC2H3O2

2. 0.01 M HCl vs 0.1 M HBr 4. 0.1 M H3C6H5O7 vs 0.01 M H3PO4

 WARM UP QUESTIONS

1. Based on the property, are the following an acid, base, salt?

a. Slippery
b. Forms hydronium ions in water
c. An electrolyte
2. HCl is a strong acid. HClO is a weak acid. What’s the difference (other than the O atom)?

3. Create 3 incorrect names for HF that 9th grade you would believe. What is the correct name for HF?

4. Based on what you know so far, explain what makes an acid an acid.

1. If the pH of a solution is 3.7…

a. What is the pOH?

b. What is the [H+]?

c. What is the [OH-]?

2. What is the pH of a solution of 0.34 M hydriodic acid? How do we express sig figs in pH and pOH?

3. What is the pH of pure water and that or rain water? Explain the difference.

1. Write and balance the equation for the neutralization of sodium hydroxide by hydrocyanic acid. Write the
net-ionic equation.
2. 74.3 mL of 0.025 M sodium hydroxide are needed to titrate 35.0 mL of an unknown hydrochloric acid
solution. What is the molarity of the acid solution? What was the pH of the acid solution? What was the pH
of the sodium hydroxide solution?

3. What is the pH of a 0.020 M Sr(OH)2 solution?

4. What is the molarity of an HCl solution if 50.0 mL is neutralized in a titration by 40.0 mL of 0.400 M
NaOH?

Use the image to answer questions 1 – 2.

1. Which beaker contains a strong acid? Which
beaker contains a weak acid? Why?

2. List 3 possibilities each for the identity of the

acid solutions in Beaker A and Beaker B. A B C

3. What is the neutralization reaction that would produce sodium acetate? Would a 1 M solution of sodium
acetate likely be acidic, basic, or neutral in pH? What would the pH likely be?

4. Name the 7 strong acids.