Acids and Alkalis

Learning Objectives

• To know that solutions can be sorted by

whether they are: acid, alkali or neutral.

• To understand that an alkali reacts with an

acid to cancel it out.

• To know that indicators show you how acidic

or alkaline a solution is.
 Acids and alkalis
When a substance dissolves in water it
makes a solution.

Solutions can be sorted by whether

they are: acid, alkali or neutral.
 Acids and Alkalis
What is an acid?
*A substance that dissolves in water and
releases H+ ions.

*A substance that donates

(protons) hydrogen ions in
aqueous solutions H+.
 Acids and Alkalis

What is an alkali?
*A substance that dissolves in water and
releases OH- ions.
*A soluble base which produces
hydroxide ions in aqueous
solutions OH-.
 Properties of acids:

1- They have sour taste.

2- They are soluble in water and
their aqueous solutions conduct
electricity.
3- They turn blue litmus paper red.
 Example:
HCl (g)gas is not an acid when
it dissolves in water, it forms
Hydrochloric acid
HCl (aq.)
 Acids
There are many acids
present in our
everyday lives.

Lemon juice contains citric acid, and

vinegar contains ethanoic acid.
Some strong acids are hydrochloric acid,
sulphuric acid and nitric acid.
Some weak acids are ethanoic acid, citric
acid and carbonic acid.
 Types of acids:
• Organic acids: • Mineral acids
• (found in animals and (Inorganic acids):
plants’ materials) • Some are weak as
• They are weak acids. carbonic acid H2CO3
• Ex. • Some are strong as
• Ethanoic acid • HCl
• (vinegar),
• H2SO4
• Citric acid(lemon),
•
• HNO3
Lactic acid(sour milk),
• methanoic acid(ant • H3PO4
stings)
 Uses of some acids
• Carbonic acid • In fizzy soft drinks.
H2CO3.
• Hydrochloric acid HCl• In stomach , In
cleaning metals.
• Sulphuric acid H2SO4 • In car batteries ,in
paints detergents.
• Nitric acid HNO3 • In fertilizers and
explosives.
• Phosphoric acid • In making fertilizers.
H3PO4
 Indicators
Indicators
help you find
out whether a
solution is
acidic or not.
They change colour in acid or alkaline solutions.

Different indicators change to different colours.

Many are extracted from plants.
 1- Litmus
Test.

• Litmus is an indicator. It changes colour in acid

and alkaline solutions. It can be used as papers
or solutions.
• Litmus is red in an acid.
• Litmus is blue in an alkali.
• Litmus solution is purple in neutral solutions
 2- Universal indicator
How do we measure acidity?
Use an indicator (it can be used
as a solution or as a paper).
Universal indicator is used
as a measure of

The amount of
hydrogen ions present
in solution = pH
 Universal Indicator
• Universal indicator changes colour in
acids and alkalis.

Neutral
ACIDS ALKALIS

Its colour shows the strength of an acid or alkali.

Different acids : different colours.
Different conc. Of the same acid: different colours
 The pH scale

1–6 8 - 14
7
Acids Alkalis
Neutral
 pH
The biological view in the human body
acidic basic/alkaline
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

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Tortora & Grabowski, Prin. of Anatomy & Physiology, 10th ed., Wiley (2003)
 A neutralisation reaction is where an
acid reacts with a base to produce a
neutral solution of a salt and water.
water

sodium hydroxide
pH 14
neutralisation

hydrochloric acid
sodium chloride
pH 1
pH 7

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

Increasingly acid Increasingly alkali

 Acids have PH lower than 7.
Alkalis have PH higher than 7.
The lower PH ,the more acidic the
solution , the highest the
concentration of H+ ions.
3- Phenol phthalein: 4- Methyl orange:
• Is colorless in neutral • Is orange in neutral
solutions. solutions.
• Is colorless in acidic • Is red in acidic solutions.
solutions. • Is yellow in alkaline
• Is pink in alkaline solutions.
solutions. • Is preferred to be used
• Is preferred to be used with weak alkalis.
with strong alkalis.
 5- Thymolphthalein

• Neutral: colorless
• Acid: colorless
• Alkali : blue
 Chemical reactions of acids:

• 1- Reaction with metal(single

displacement):
Metal + Acid
magnesium +
Salt + Hydrogen
magnesium chloride + hydrochloric acid hydrogen
• Mg +2HCl MgCl2 + H2 (Redox)
• Some metals as silver and copper don not react with acids.
• Aluminium can react with acids after a period of time.
• It unsafe to try this reaction with very reactive metals such as sodium or calcium .The reaction is very violent.
 Neutralisation
• 2- Acids and alkalis react with each other.
The alkali cancels out the acid in the
reaction. This is called neutralisation.
• (Double displacement)

A salt is made.
 Acids and Alkalis
• Neutralisation occurs when the
acidic and alkaline ions cancel
each other out
• H (aq) + OH (aq)
+ -
H2O (l)
A salt:
Is a compound formed when a metal or
ammonium NH4+ replaces hydrogen in an acid.
A neutralization reaction : a chemical reaction
between an acid and a base to produce salt and
water.
 Salts
• The salt made depends on the
acid and alkali used.
• The salt contains the metal atom from
the alkali, and part of the acid molecule.

The salts of sulphuric acid are known as sulphates.

The salts of hydrochloric acid are known as chlorides.
The salts of nitric acid are known as nitrates.
The salts of ethanoic acid are known as ethanoates.
• 3- Reaction of an acid with a metal oxide:
• Metal oxide +acid salt +water
• (It is a neutralization reaction)
• CuO (s) + 2HCl(aq) CuCl2(aq)
+H2O(l)

(It is a double displacement)

 4- Reaction of acid with carbonate:

Acid + Carbonate Salt + Water + Carbon

dioxide
sulphuric acid + copper sulphate + water +
copper carbonate carbon dioxide
H2SO4 + CuCO3 CuSO4 + H2O +CO2
• 2HCl + CaCO3 CaCl2 +H2O +CO2
• CaCO3: Limestone.
• Ca(OH)2 (s) : slaked lime.
• Ca(OH)2 (aq) : lime water.
• Cao (s): quick lime.
• NaHCO3 + HCl NaCl + H2O +CO2
• Baking powder used in making cakes is made
of Sodium hydrogen carbonate and tartaric
acid.
When the oxide
of some non-metals
dissolve in water
they make an acid.

Acids have a sour taste.

They are corrosive.
Common Acids are:

Name of acid Formula

Sulphuric acid
Hydrochloric H2SO4
Nitric acid HCl
Ethanoic
HNO3
(vinegar)
CH3COOH
Common bases are:

Name of alkali Formula

Sodium
Hydroxide NaOH
Potassium
K 2O
Oxide

CaO3
Calcium
Carbonates NH4OH
Ammonium
Hydroxide
 Salts

Sulphuric
acid
Nitric acid
Sulphates
Nitrates

Hydrochloric acid

Chlorides
• All these are bases – that will neutralise an acid

Type of compound Contain React with acids to give

Metal Hydroxides OH- water + a salt
Metal Oxides O2- water + a salt
Metal Carbonates CO32- water + a salt + CO2
 Naming salts
1 The first part of the name of the salt comes
from the first name of the base (alkali)

So Ammonium hydroxide gives ammonium

…………
Magnesium oxide gives magnesium
The acid gives the last part of the name of the
2…………...
salt.
So Sulphuric acid make sulphates
Nitric acid makes nitrates
Hydrochloric acid makes chlorides

Eg. Sodium hydroxide + nitric acid forms: Sodium

nitrate
Calcium carbonate + sulphuric acid forms: calcium
sulphate
Naming salts
 Naming salts

Hydrochloric + Sodium  Sodium + water

acid hydroxide chloride

Hydrochloric + Lithium  …………… + water

acid hydroxide …..
chloride

Hydrochloric + Potassium  …………… + …………

acid hydroxide ….. ………
……………
…..
 Naming salts

Hydrochlori + potassiu  …………… + ……………

c acid m …..
hydroxid ……………
e …..

Sulphuric + Lithium  …………… + ……………

acid hydroxid …..
e sulphate

Nitric + Lithium  …………… + ……………

acid hydroxid …..
e ……………
…..
 Strong and weak acids
Strong acid Weak acid
 The basicity of acids
• It is the number of replaceable hydrogen
atoms per molecule.
• 1- Monobasic(Monoprotic):
HCl ,HNO3,CH3COOH
• 2- Dibasic(Diprotic): H2CO3 , H2SO4
• 3- Tribasic (Triprotic) : H3PO4
How to distinguish between strong and
weak acid
• Strong acid: • Weak acid:
• 1- Lower PH. • 1- Higher PH.
• 2- Good conductors of • 2- Weak conductors of
electricity.(the more ions electricity.(The less ions
present ,the greater the present ,the less the
conductivity) conductivity).
• 3- Reacts with metals or • 3-Reacts with metals and
carbonate by faster rate carbonate by slower rate
of reaction(Faster rate of reaction(slower rate
and more bubbles of H2 and less bubbles of H2 or
or CO2) CO2)
 Bases and alkalis

• Base :a substance that reacts with an acid

to form a salt and water only.
• Ex. CuO , MgO , CaO , Cu(OH)2

• Alkali a soluble base.

• Ex.NaOH , KOH
• Bases:
• 1- neutralize acids to
give salts and water.
• 2- are hydroxides and
oxides of metals.
• 3- are mainly
insoluble in water.
Continued
• 6-conduct electricity.
• 7- Have corrosive
effect on skin.
• 8- Have bitter taste.
 Examples of bases and alkalis

•Bases: • Alkalis:
•1- CaO : neutralizing soil • are solids except for
acidity and industrial wastes ammonia
,in making cement and • 1- NaOH : strong
concrete. alkali ,used in oven
•2- MgO : in antacid tablets. cleansers , in making
soaps and detergents.
(caustic soda)
• 2- KOH : strong alkali in
making soaps and
biodiesel.(caustic potash)
• 3- Ca(OH)2(aq) : strong
alkali
• Has limited solubility used
to neutralize soil acidity
and acidic gases
produced by power
stations.
• 4- NH4OH or aqueous
ammonia(NH3 aq) :weak
alkali used in cleaning
fluids in homes and
making fertilizers.
 Reactions of alkalis:
• 1- All bases neutralize acids through
neutralization reactions.
• 2- Reaction of alkalis with ammonium
salts.
• NH4 salts when warmed with an
alkali ,ammonium salts decompose to form
metal salt , ammonia gas and water.
• KOH(aq) + NH4Cl (aq) KCl (aq)+ NH3(g) +

H2O(I)
 Test for NH3 gas:
• 1- turns damp red litmus paper to blue.
• 2- Pungent sharp smell.
• 3- Effervescence (bubbling).
 Differences between strong
alkali and weak alkali
Strong Alkali Weak alkali
 How to distinguish between
strong and weak alkali
Strong alkali Weak alkali
• Lower PH.
• Less electrical
conductivity.
 Applications of Neutralisation
• Insect Stings
Bee stings are acidic
and can be neutralised with
baking soda (bicarbonate of soda).
Wasp stings are alkaline and can
be neutralised with vinegar.

• Indigestion: Our stomach carries

around hydrochloric acid.
Too much of this leads to indigestion.
To cure indigestion, you can neutralise the
excess acid with baking soda or specialised
indigestion tablets.(MgO &Mg(OH)2 or
CaCO3 &MgCO3 or Na2CO3 & NaHCO3)
 Factory Waste: Liquid
waste from factories is
often acidic. If it reaches
Soil Treatment: When soils are
too acidic (often as a result of a river it will destroy and
acid rain) they can be treated kill sea life of many
with slaked lime, chalk or forms. Neutralising the
quicklime, all alkalis. Plants waste with slaked lime
and crops grow best in neutral can prevent this.
soils.

More Applications
of Neutralisation
Another definition of acid and
base: