ACIDS, BASES

AND SALTS
Presenter: G. Delapenha
SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES
SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES
 INTRODUCTION
▪ Acids and bases have
opposite properties and
have the ability to
neutralize each other.

▪ When an ACID reacts with

a BASE, the reaction
always forms a SALT.

Ethanoic acid citric acid Carbonic acid

 ACIDS
• Acids in their anhydrous form, i.e. not
dissolved in water, are composed of
covalent molecules and they may be
solid, liquid or gas at room temperature.

• Solids include citric acid, tartaric acid

and ascorbic acid (vitamin C).

• Liquids include sulfuric acid and nitric

acid.

• Gases include hydrogen chloride gas.

 Two [2] Definitions of Acid
1. An ACID is a PROTON donor Eg.

2. An ACID is a substance that contain

HYDROGEN which can be replaced

directly or indirectly by METAL or

AMMONIUM IONS to form a SALT. Eg.

Note:

• Acids ionize when dissolved in water to form

HYDROGEN IONS [H+]

• A hydrogen ion is a proton

 COMMON ACIDS

• ALL ACIDS have HYDROGEN

in their formulae, e.g. nitric acid,
HNO3 and sulfuric acid, H2SO4.
 General Properties Of Acids
•They have a SOUR taste.
•They are CORROSIVE.
•They change BLUE litmus to RED
•They have a pH value of less than 7
•They CONDUCT an ELECTRIC
CURRENT, i.e. they are
ELECTROLYTES.
 Chemical Reactions Of Acids
1. Acids, except nitric acid,
Acids react with reactive metals
react with metals above
hydrogen in the reactivity
series to form a salt and
hydrogen.
• Note: Nitric acid is an
oxidizing agent which
releases oxides of nitrogen,
e.g. nitrogen dioxide (NO2),
and not hydrogen, when it
reacts with metals.
 Reaction of Acid + Base

2. Acids react with bases,

which are mainly metal
hydroxides and metal
oxides
Examples:
Acids React with Metal Carbonates
and Metal Hydrogencarbonates
CLASSIFICATION OF ACIDS
 BASICITY OF ACIDS
Basicity is the number of H+ ions produced per molecule of
acid, when the acid dissolves in water.
Acids can be classified as:
• Monobasic
• Dibasic
• Tribasic
MONOBASIC ACIDS
DIBASIC ACIDS
TRIBASIC ACIDS
 DILUTE AND CONCENTRATED ACIDS
• Acids can also be classified based on the quantity of water present.
• A DILUTE ACID is one that contains a lot of water,
• e.g. hydrochloric acid, which has a concentration of 0.1 mol dm-3, is
dilute.
• A CONCENTRATED ACID is one that contains very little water,
• e.g. hydrochloric acid, which has a concentration of 12 mol dm-3, is
concentrated.
 ACID ANHYDRIDES
▪ An acid anhydride is a
compound that reacts with
water to form an acid.
▪ Many acid anhydrides are
acidic oxides of non-metals.
▪ Examples include carbon
dioxide (CO2), sulfur dioxide
(SO2), sulfur trioxide (SO3)
and nitrogen dioxide (NO2).
ACIDS IN LIVING SYSTEMS
ACIDS IN LIVING SYSTEMS
ACIDS IN LIVING SYSTEMS
ACIDS IN LIVING SYSTEMS
ACIDS IN LIVING SYSTEMS
 BASES
• Bases are chemically opposite to acids.
• Bases include:
o METAL OXIDES, e.g. calcium oxide (CaO),
o METAL HYDROXIDES, e.g. zinc hydroxide (Zn(OH)2,) and
ammonia (NH3).
• A base is a proton acceptor.
• A base is a substance that can react with an acid to form salt and
water only.
• When a base reacts with an acid, the O2- ions or OH- ions in the
base accept the H+ ions, or protons, from the acid, forming water.
 Alkalis
• An alkali is a base which can dissolve in water to form a solution that
contains OH- ions
• Since most bases are insoluble in water, most bases are not alkalis.

• The common alkalis include potassium hydroxide (KOH) and

• sodium hydroxide (NaOH), which are fully soluble in water, and
• calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2), which is moderately soluble. For
example:
 Alkalis
• Ammonia gas (NH3),
• potassium oxide (K2O),
• sodium oxide (Na2O) and
• calcium oxide (CaO) which react with water to form a solution
containing hydroxide ions:
 General Properties Of Aqueous Alkalis

• The presence of OH- ions in aqueous solutions of alkalis gives them

their characteristic properties.
✔ bitter taste.
✔ corrosive.
✔ feel soapy [ or slippery]
✔ change red litmus to blue.
✔ have a pH value greater than 7
✔ conduct an electric current, i.e. they are electrolytes.
 REACTIONS OF BASES
• Bases react with acids to produce a salt and water (see reactions of
acids).
• When heated, bases react with ammonium salts to produce a salt,
ammonia and water.
 Distinguishing between Acids and Alkalis
• Indicators are used to distinguish between acids and alkalis in
aqueous solutions.
• An indicator has one colour in an acidic solution and another colour in
an alkaline solution.
The Strength of Acids and Alkalis
• A STRONG ACID is fully ionised when dissolved in water.
• concentration of H+ ions in the solution is high.
• Examples:
❖ Hydrochloric acid (HCI),
❖ sulfuric acid (H2SO4) and
❖ nitric acid (HNO3) are strong acids.
The Strength of Acids and Alkalis
• A WEAK ACID is only partially ionised when dissolved in water.
• The solution contains a mixture of acid molecules and H+ ions,
and the concentration of H+ ions in the solution is low,
• e.g. Ethanoic acid (CH,COOH):
The Strength of Acids and Alkalis
• A STRONG ALKALI is fully ionised when dissolved in water.

• The concentration of OH- ions in the solution is high.

❖ Potassium hydroxide (KOH) and
❖ sodium hydroxide (NaOH) are strong alkalis.
The Strength of Acids and Alkalis
• A WEAK ALKALI is only partially ionised when dissolved in
water.

• The concentration of OH- ions in the solution is low,

• e.g. ammonia (NH3):

Measuring the Strength of Acids and Alkalis
• The strength of an aqueous acid or alkali can be measured on the pH scale by
using universal indicator.
AMPHOTERIC COMPOUNDS
Example
Activity
• Write balanced chemical equations for:

a) Aluminium oxide + hydrochloric acid

b) Sodium hydroxide + aluminium oxide

c) Lead[II] hydroxide + sulfuric acid

d) Potassium hydroxide + lead[II] hydroxide

 Classification of oxides
Oxides can be classified into FOUR groups:

1. Acidic oxides
• Acidic oxides are oxides of some non-metals which react with alkalis
to form a salt and water.

Examples include:
▪ carbon dioxide (CO2) Most acidic oxides also react
▪ sulfur dioxide (SO2) with water to form an acid, i.e.
▪ sulfur trioxide (SO3) they are acid anhydrides
▪ nitrogen dioxide(NO2)
▪ silicon dioxide (SiO2).
eg:
 2. Basic oxides
• Basic oxides are oxides of metals which react with acids to form a
salt and water.

• Examples include: Potassium oxide (K2O), sodium oxide

▪ magnesium oxide (MgO) (Na2O) and calcium oxide (CaO) are
▪ iron (III) oxide(Fe2O3) basic oxides which are also classified
▪ copper(ll) oxide (CuO) as alkalis because they react with
water to form a solution containing
OH- ions
 3. Amphoteric oxides
• Amphoteric oxides are oxides of some metals which react with
both acids and strong alkalis to form a salt and water.
• There are three common amphoteric oxides:
▪ aluminium oxide (AI2O3)
▪ zinc oxide (ZnO)
▪ lead(II) oxide (PbO)

e.g.
 4. Neutral oxides
• Neutral oxides are oxides of some non-metals which do not react with

acids or alkalis.

Examples include:

▪ carbon monoxide (CO)

▪ nitrogen monoxide (NO)

▪ dinitrogen monoxide (N2O).

 SALTS
•Salt is an ionic compound formed
when some or all of the hydrogen
ions in an acid are replaced by
metal or ammonium ions.
 Classification of salts
Salts can be classified into two groups:
1. NORMAL SALTS are formed when ALL of the H+ ions in an acid are
replaced by metal or ammonium ions.

Potassium sulfate is a normal salt. All acids can form normal salts.
 Classification of salts
2. ACID SALTS are formed when the H+ ions in an acid are only partially
replaced by metal or ammonium ions.

• Potassium hydrogensulfate is an acid salt.

• Only dibasic and tribasic acids can form acid salts.
• The relative quantity of each reactant determines the type of salt
formed by dibasic and tribasic acids.
• In the two reactions above:
• A normal salt is produced when 2 mol of potassium hydroxide react
with 1 mol of sulfuric acid.
• An acid salt is produced when 1 mol of potassium hydroxide reacts
with 1 mol of sulfuric acid.
 Classification of Salts cont’d
• The tribasic acid, phosphoric acid (H3PO4), can produce one normal
salt and two different acid salts.
 Water of Crystallisation
• Some salts may contain water of crystallisation. This is a fixed
proportion of water molecules held within their crystal lattice.
• Salts containing water of crystallisation are called hydrated salts and
is shown in the formula after the “dot [.]”
• e.g. CuSO4.5H2O represents hydrated copper(ll) sulfate.
• In some compounds, water of crystallisation is responsible for the
shape, and sometimes the colour, of the crystals.
• If removed by heating, the salt becomes anhydrous; it loses its
crystalline structure and its colour may change.
Water of Crystallisation

A hydrated copper(lI) sulfate crystal

 Methods used to prepare salts

When preparing any salt, the following must be taken into account:
i. The solubility of the salt being prepared.
ii. The solubility of the reactants being used to prepare the salt.
iii. The hydration of the salt being prepared.
Methods used to prepare salts

Anhydrous = without water

 Preparation of Insoluble salts
• INSOLUBLE SALTS can be prepared by reacting TWO SOLUTIONS, one
containing the CATIONS of the salt being prepared and the other containing
the ANIONS of the salt.

• This is known as ionic precipitation.

• In an ionic precipitation reaction, the two soluble salts in solution react to

form an insoluble salt, i.e. a PRECIPITATE, and a soluble salt.
 Preparation of Insoluble salts
• For example,
• barium nitrate solution reacts with sodium sulfate solution to form
insoluble barium sulfate and sodium nitrate solution:

cation anion precipitate

 Preparation of Insoluble salts
1. Dissolve each salt in
distilled water to make two
solutions.
2. Mix the solutions to form a
precipitate.
3. Filter to separate the
precipitate.
4. Wash the precipitate
(residue) with distilled
water. A precipitate of
5. Dry the residue. barium sulfate
 Activity
• Suggest suitable soluble salts that could be used to prepare the
following insoluble salts by ionic precipitation. Write the ionic
equation in each case.

1. Silver chloride

2. Lead[II] sulfate

3. Calcium phosphate
PREPARING SALTS BY TITRATION

● used for preparing salts

of potassium, sodium
and ammonium
SALTS IN EVERYDAY LIFE
SALTS IN EVERYDAY LIFE
DANGERS OF SALTS
Using neutralisation reactions in everyday life
USING NEUTRALISATION REACTIONS IN EVERYDAY LIFE
REVISION QUESTIONS
END