Planner Scientific enquiry

7E.1 What acids and alkalis are like (HSW)

You should already know Outcomes Keywords

Acids are all around us

Many things around us contain acids.
Some acids are in the food we eat.
They give food a sharp, sour taste.

Fruit or drinks made from fruit often

contain acids. They have a tangy,
sharp taste. We say acids taste sour.

Question 1

In the 18th century, sailors could be at sea for a long time.

If they did not get fresh fruit often enough, they became ill
with a disease called scurvy.
Scurvy is caused by a lack of vitamin C. It can be fatal.
Captain Cook discovered Australia. He made his sailors
eat limes and lemons. This stopped them getting scurvy.
Lime juice prevents scurvy because it contains vitamin C.
Vitamin C is a weak acid so it tastes sour.

Lime juice tastes sour.

Limes and lemons taste sour because they contain

citric acid. They prevent scurvy because they contain
vitamin C. This is also an acid, but it is very weak.

Question 2

66 7E Acids and alkalis

 7E.1 What acids and alkalis are like
Some acids are dangerous
This is the
Some acids are strong. They are risky to use. warning sign
Hydrochloric acid has a hazard warning sign. for corrosive.

The sign tells you hydrochloric acid is corrosive. It will attack

your skin and start eating it away.

Question 3

When you mix acid with water, we say that you dilute it.
This makes the acid less dangerous.
If you spill an acid, you should wash the area with lots of water to
dilute the acid. This is the sign This is the sign
for harmful. for irritant.
Dilute acids are still harmful.
We use a black cross to warn people about them.

Question 4

About alkalis
The substances shown in the picture contain
alkalis. Acids and alkalis can cancel each
other out when they mix.

All these substances

contain alkalis.

Strong alkalis like sodium hydroxide are just as dangerous as the

strongest acids. They are also corrosive.
When you get alkali on your skin, it dissolves your skin away.
Your skin feels soapy. You get a chemical burn.
These burns were caused by an
Question 5 alkali called sodium hydroxide.

7E Acids and alkalis 67

 Planner

7E.2 Telling acids and alkalis apart

You should already know Outcomes Keywords

Sodium hydroxide, hydrochloric acid, lemonade and water are

all colourless liquids. They do different things when you add red
cabbage juice to them.

Before adding red cabbage juice

After adding red cabbage juice

Chemical being tested hydrochloric acid lemonade sodium hydroxide water

Adding red cabbage juice to four

Question 1 colourless liquids.

The colours of red cabbage juice show whether a substance is an

acid or an alkali.
We can use juices from other plants. For example we can use:
• beetroot juice;
• blackcurrant juice;
• a plant dye called litmus.
These substances are all indicators.
Indicators show a different colour in acid to the one they show
in alkali.

Question 2

68 7E Acids and alkalis

 7E.2 Telling acids and alkalis apart

Beakers containing hydrochloric acid

Beakers containing sodium hydroxide

Indicator added litmus blackcurrant red cabbage

The colours of three indicators in acid and in alkali.

Hydrochloric acid is a strong acid.

Sodium hydroxide is a strong alkali.

Question 3

Litmus is a dye. It is a very common indicator. It is purple when

it is in a substance that is neither alkali nor acid. This type of
substance is called a neutral substance.
Litmus turns red in acids. Litmus turns blue in alkalis.
Substance Litmus colour Type of substance
sodium hydroxide blue alkali
acid
vitamin C red acid
water purple neutral
calcium hydroxide blue alkali

Litmus turns purple in water. This shows us that water is neutral.

This means water is neither acid nor alkali.
alkali

Question 4 5

7E Acids and alkalis 69

 strongly acidic
Planner strongly acidic

7E.3 Universal indicator and the pH scale

strongly acidic
strongly acidic

You should already know Outcomes Keywordsweakly acidic

weakly acidic

Litmus shows whether something is acidic, strongly acidic

alkaline or neutral. weakly acidic
weakly acidic
Universal indicator is a special type
of indicator. neutral
neutral

It tells us how strong or weak an acid or

an alkali is. It is made by combining other weakly acidic
neutral
indicators together.
neutral
When hydrochloric acid is concentrated, it is
weakly alkaline
very acidic. It turns universal indicator red. weakly alkaline
Lemonade is a weak acid – it is a lot less
acidic than concentrated hydrochloric acid. neutral
It turns universal indicator yellow. weakly alkaline
weakly alkaline

Type of substance Colour of universal indicator strongly alkaline

strongly alkaline
strong acid red

weak acid yellow weakly alkaline

strongly alkaline
strongly alkaline
neutral green

weak alkali blue

The effects of different liquids
on universal indicator.
strong alkali purple
strongly alkaline
The different colours universal indicator goes.

Question 1 2

The strengths of acids and alkalis are measured on a scale called

the pH scale.
The scale goes from 0 to 14.

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

more acidic more alkaline

neutral The pH scale.

Question 3

70 7E Acids and alkalis

 7E.3 Universal indicator and the pH scale
The different colours of universal indicator are matched to the
numbers on the pH scale. When you buy universal indicator,
you can buy a colour chart like this.
pH numbers

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

strongly acidic weakly acidic weakly alkaline strongly alkaline

neutral

Strong acids are between 0 and 3 on the scale. A colour chart for universal indicator
Concentrated hydrochloric acid has a pH of 1. that shows the pH scale.

The numbers 4 to 6 tell us the liquid is a weak acid.

Lemon juice is a weak acid. Its pH is 5.
Number 7 tells us the liquid is neutral. Water has
a pH of 7. It is neither acid nor alkali. It makes
universal indicator green.
Numbers from 8 to 14 are for alkalis.
Sodium hydroxide is a strong alkali.
This chart shows what happens when you test some
different substances with universal indicator.

Liquid Colour of universal pH Type of liquid

indicator
nitric acid red 1 strong acid
vinegar yellow 5 weak acid
ammonia solution purple 14 strong alkali
sodium bicarbonate
blue 9 weak alkali
solution
salt water green 7 neutral

Question 4 5 6

7E Acids and alkalis 71

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7E.4 Neutralisation

You should already know Outcomes Keywords

Adding acid to alkali

Remember, the colour of universal indicator tells us
how acid or alkali something is. REMEMBER
Universal indicator tells us pH.

• Red means the solution is very acidic.

• Purple means the solution is very alkaline.
• Green means the solution is neutral. pH 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

increasingly increasingly
acidic neutral alkaline

The diagrams show acid being dripped from a tube 3

0 cm 0 0
into a flask of alkali.
There is universal indicator in the alkali solution.
At the start the pH is high because the flask 25.5
contains a lot of alkali. The pH is about 13 or 14. 30
dilute
acid
After about half the acid has been added, the pH
has dropped to about 7.
50 50 50
Flask B contains a neutral solution. The acid has
cancelled the alkali out.
The acid and the alkali react to make a
neutral solution.
If you keep adding acid, the pH keeps falling.
A B C
Eventually, if you add enough acid, you get an dilute alkali +
acidic solution with a pH of about 1. universal indicator

This type of reaction is called neutralisation. You have to add just

the right amount of acid to an alkali to cause neutralisation.
• Too much acid makes an acidic solution.
• Not enough acid leaves an alkali solution.
Question 1 2

72 7E Acids and alkalis

 7E.4 Neutralisation
A neutralisation experiment
The diagram shows an experiment with
hydrochloric acid, water and washing soda.
hydrochloric acid
The washing soda crystal dissolves in the water
around it. You add a few drops of universal
indicator and leave it for a few days. 2 days

water

washing soda crystal

Question 3 4

The photograph shows the experiment with hydrochloric acid,

washing soda and water after a few days.
• The hydrochloric acid has turned the universal indicator red at
the top of the tube.
• The washing soda crystal has dissolved in the water near it.
• The universal indicator is blue around the washing soda.
• This means the washing soda solution is alkaline.
• The washing soda gradually moves up the test tube.
• The hydrochloric acid gradually moves down the test tube.
• The washing soda neutralises the hydrochloric acid where
they meet.
Neutralisation happens where the colour is green, just under the
yellow section.

Question 5 6 The experiment after a few days.

Check your progress

7E Acids and alkalis 73

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7E.5 Where neutralisation is important

You should already know Outcomes Keywords

Curing indigestion
Indigestion is caused by too much acid in the
stomach. You can take medicine for this.
Indigestion medicine contains an alkali.
The alkali neutralises the stomach acid.
It is important that the alkali in the medicine
is weak. If it is too strong, it will corrode
your insides.
Some indigestion cures contain carbonates.
When these neutralise the acid in your stomach,
they make carbon dioxide gas.
Unfortunately the gas produced can make One of these is a medicine for indigestion.
you burp!

Question 1 2

Here are the results of some tests with indigestion tablets.

Tablet Cost per tablet Amount of acid Amount of gas Time taken to neutralise
neutralised (cm3) produced (cm3) the acid (minutes)
brand A 3p 25 none 3

brand B 4p 20 none 10

brand C 5p 30 15 2

Question 3

74 7E Acids and alkalis

 7E.5 Where neutralisation is important
Toothpaste
Your mouth is full of bacteria.
Bacteria feed on bits of food left in your mouth.
When bacteria feed, they produce an acid. The acid attacks your
teeth. It makes your teeth decay.
When you brush your teeth, you get rid of the bits of food and
some of the bacteria.
Toothpaste is a weak alkali. The toothpaste neutralises the acid
that the bacteria produce. This helps to protect your teeth. Bacteria on a human tongue.

Question 4

Making cakes rise

Baking powder is an ingredient in some cake recipes. It contains
both an acid and an alkali.
When it is in the cake, the acid and alkali neutralise each other
and produce carbon dioxide gas.
The carbon dioxide gas makes the bubbles in sponge cakes.
Question 5
The pH of this toothpaste is 8
because it contains
Acid rain sodium bicarbonate.
Pollution from factories and power stations produces acid gases in
the air. Rainwater dissolves these acid gases and becomes acidic.
The water in rivers and lakes becomes slightly acidic.
In Scandinavian countries, they add crushed limestone to their
lakes to neutralise the acidity caused by acid rain.
Some soil is more acidic than other soil. Serious gardeners test
their soil using universal indicator so they know whether it is acid
or alkali.
In some areas, the soil is too acidic for any plants to grow well.
Lime is the common name for one alkali.
Farmers spread lime on fields to neutralise some of the acid in
the soil.
Adding lime reduces the acid in the soil and plants can now
grow well. Review your work

Question 6 Summary

7E Acids and alkalis 75

 Planner

7E.HSW Investigations and safety

You should already know Outcomes Keywords

Investigating the effect of temperature on a reaction

Some pupils are investigating whether the temperature of
hydrochloric acid affects its reaction with a metal.
Group A adds some zinc to cold hydrochloric acid and some iron
to some hot hydrochloric acid. Both test tubes produce bubbles of
hydrogen gas at the same rate.
Group B think group A’s test is not fair because they have used
different metals as well as acid that is at different temperatures.
Zinc in cold acid and hot acid.
This means that they cannot tell if it is the temperature or the
metals having an effect.
Group B add zinc to both cold and hot acid, and repeat the
experiment with iron. They notice that zinc gives off more bubbles
than iron if the acid is at the same temperature.

Question 1 2

The teacher explains to group A that their method does not give
reliable evidence. This is because they have changed more than Iron in cold acid and hot acid.
one thing at once.
When you decide how reliable an experiment is it is
called evaluation.
Deciding what to do to make your method of working safe is
called a risk assessment. Look at the pupils in the diagram.
• The bottles of acid are too close to the back edge of the desk.
• One pupil has a test tube very close to his body.
• Their lab coats are open and not protecting the front of
their bodies.
• The pupils are not aware of what the other is doing.
Part of a risk assessment is to state what you would do to reduce
the risk.

Question 3

76 7E Acids and alkalis

 7E.HSW Investigations and safety
Safety in science This is the
warning sign
When scientists plan investigations they need to think about for corrosive.

• the plan of what to do

• how to make any tests fair
• the equipment and substances they use
• safety.
You can look up hazards for different substances in books or on
cards that are published about the substances. Some substances This is the sign This is the sign
for harmful. for irritant.
have hazard warning signs on their containers.
Hazardous chemicals have warning
In a risk assessment, you identify each hazard and decide what to labels. You need to be able to
do to reduce it. recognise them.

A funnel is used to fill a tube A tube is used to put a measured Some indicator is added to
with hydrochloric acid. amount of sodium hydroxide into the flask.
a flask.
The photographs show part of an experiment in which
hydrochloric acid is added to sodium hydroxide. There Risk assessment is one part of science
are several safety features. that affects the way people think
• The person is wearing goggles. and behave.
• The person is standing up.
• A funnel is used to direct the acid into a narrow tube.
• The substances used are clearly labelled.
Standing up is the result of a simple risk assessment. You can
reduce the risk of spilling harmful chemicals on your legs if you
stand up. If there is a spill on the worktop, it will drip onto the
floor and not onto your lap.
Question 4 5

Even when you have done a risk assessment, accidents can happen.
This might be because your risk assessment was not good enough.
It might be because you are not following your risk assessment. It
might just be due to some unexpected event, a pure accident. Someone distracted this student
during an experiment and she has
Question 6 7 spilled alkali onto her hand.

7E Acids and alkalis 77

 7E Questions

7E.1
1 Look at the picture. Give an example of something that contains
an acid.
2 What word best describes the acid taste of lime juice?
3 What does the word ‘corrosive’ mean?
4 What substance do you mix with an acid to dilute it?
5 What can an alkali cause on your skin?

7E.2
1 What colour does red cabbage juice turn when added to
hydrochloric acid?
2 What does an indicator do to show the difference between acid
and alkali?
3 What does hydrochloric acid do to the colour of litmus?
4 What colour does litmus go in an alkali?
5 Is water acid, alkali or neutral?
Give a reason for your answer.

7E.3
1 Which indicator, litmus or universal indicator, can you use to tell
how strong an acid or alkali is?
2 What colour does universal indicator go in a liquid that is a
strong alkali?
3 What does the pH scale measure?
4 Universal indicator goes green in water.
What does this tell us about water?
5 What type of liquid gives a pH of 2?
6 How does the pH number of ammonia solution tell you it is the
most alkaline substance shown in the table?

78 7E Acids and alkalis

 7E Questions

7E.4
1 What is the name of the reaction in which an acid and an
alkali cancel each other out?
2 If you add too much acid to an alkali, is the result acidic
or alkaline?
3 What colour is the solution next to the washing soda crystal?
4 Are washing soda crystals acidic or alkaline?
5 What is the pH at the top of the test tube?
6 Which section of the
tube is the most acidic, 7E.5
the yellow or the red? 1 What causes indigestion?
Give a reason for 2 Why must the alkali in indigestion medicine be weak?
your answer.
3 a Which tablet neutralises the most acid?
b Which is the cheapest tablet?
c Which tablet works more slowly than all the others?
4 Your saliva is slightly
7E.HSW alkaline. What effect will
1 Why is group B’s method better than group A’s? saliva have on
2 What conclusion can you draw from group B’s experiment? the acid in your mouth?
3 What do the pupils in the diagram need to do to work in a 5 What is the name of
safer manner? the gas that makes
the bubbles in
4 Use the Internet or some bottle labels to find out the hazards
sponge cakes?
of oven cleaner and bleach.
5 Some hazards are so common that it might be worth putting 6 What do Scandinavian
countries put into lakes
them in a set of laboratory rules so you don’t have to keep
and rivers to stop them
putting the same ones in every risk assessment.
getting acidic?
Write a set of laboratory rules to cover what you think are
the main points for most experiments.
6 What emergency action would you talk to deal with this
accident?
7 Write a risk assessment for the experiment the pupil is
doing.
• List the substances used and the actions she is
carrying out.
• State the hazard for each one.
• State what she should do to reduce the hazard.
(Hint: there are some things she could do to be safer even
though, in this picture, these things are not involved.)

7E Acids and alkalis 79

 7E Summary

Keywords

We make acids and alkalis Some acids and alkalis can We use symbols called
safer by adding water to be dangerous. They can be hazard warning signs to
dilute them. corrosive, harmful or irritant. show what the risk is.

We use acids like Lemon juice and vinegar

Soap, toothpaste and oven
hydrochloric acid and alkalis contain acids. That is why
cleaner contain alkalis.
like sodium hydroxide in the they taste sour.
laboratory.

We use universal indicator

to find the pH.

An indicator is a dye that is We use the pH scale to tell

Acids have a pH
a different colour in an acid us how acidic or alkaline a
below 7.
and an alkali. substance is.

Many indicators are plant If a solution is not an acid

Alkalis have a pH
juices. We extract them or an alkali, we say that it
above 7.
from plants. is neutral. Neutral solutions
have a pH of 7.

We use neutralisation in
many everyday situations.
An acid and an alkali react Crushed limestone and lime
For example, we use
to cancel each other out. can be used to neutralize the
indigestion tablets to
We call this neutralisation. effects of acid rain.
neutralise some of the acid
in our stomach.

Check your progress Review your work Scientific enquiry

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