Acids, Bases and Salts

Indicator
An indicator is a ‘dye' that changes color when it is put into an acid or a base.
Indicators Effect on

Acid Base
Methyl Orange Converts to RED Converts to YELLOW

Phenolphthalein Remain colorless Becomes PINK

Indicators Effects on

Acid Base

Litmus Blue → Red Red → Blue

Turmeric Remains yellow Yellow → Red

Red Cabbage Remains red Red → Green

Acid
• An acid is a substance which ionizes on dissolving in water to produce 𝐇 +
ions (hydrogen ions).
𝐇𝐜𝐥 ⤍ 𝐇 + + 𝐂𝐥−
+
• Note: 𝐇 ions don’t exist independently in solutions. It reacts with water to
form hydronium ion.
𝐇 + + 𝐇𝟐 𝐎 → 𝐇𝟑 𝐎+
• The acids present in plants or animals are called organic acids.
• Acids prepared from the minerals of the earth are called mineral acids.

General properties of acids:

 They have a sour taste.
 They turn blue litmus to red.
 They conduct electricity in solution form.
 They release H+ ions in aqueous solution.
Organic Acids (Weak acids)

Acid Source Formula

Acetic acid Vinegar CH₃COOH
Citric acid Lemon & orange C₆H₈O₇
Lactic acid Curd C3H6O3
 Tartaric acid Tamarind, Grapes(unripe) C4H6O6
Oxalic acid Tomatoes C2H2O4
Formic acid Ant sting CH₂O₂

Mineral Acids (Very strong acids)

Hydrochloric acid HCl

Sulphuric acid H₂SO₄
Nitric acid HNO₃
Carbonic acid (ex: weak) H₂CO₃

Chemical properties of Acids

(i) Reaction of Acid with Metal

Acid + active metal → salt + hydrogen + heat
Na (metal)+ H2SO4 (acid) → H2 (hydrogen) + Na2SO4 (salt)

(ii) Reaction of Acid with Carbonates

Acid + metal carbonate/bicarbonate → salt + water + carbon dioxide

Na2CO3 (s) + 2 HCl (aq) → 2NaCl (aq) + H2O(l) + CO2(g)

NaHCO3 (s) + HCl (aq) → NaCl(aq) + H2O (l) + CO2 (g)

Test for carbon dioxide

On passing carbon dioxide from lime water, lime water turns milky.
Ca(OH)2 + CO2 → CaCO3 + H2O
Lime water Calcium carbonate
(White ppt.)
On passing excess carbon dioxide
CaCO3 + H2O + CO2 → Ca(HCO3)2
Calcium hydrogen carbonate (soluble)

(iv) Acid reacts with metal oxides to form salt & water.
Metal oxides are basic in nature.
CuO + 2HCl → CuCl2 + H2O
 CaO + 2HCl → CaCl2 + H2O

Uses
• Sulphuric acid is used in making fertilizers, paints, dyes, chemicals, plastics,
synthetic fibers, detergents, explosives & car batteries.
• Nitric acid is used in making fertilizers, dyes, plastics, explosives.
• Hydrochloric acid is used to remove oxide layer on steel objects, in textile,
food & leather industry.
Base
• A base is a substance which ionizes on dissolving in water to produce O𝐇 −
ions (hydroxide ions).
𝒘𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓
NaOH → N𝐚+ + O𝐇 −
• Bases are comprised of metal oxides, metal hydroxides, metal carbonates and
metal bicarbonates
• Bases neutralize acid.
• A base which is soluble in water is called alkali.
• Water soluble bases: NaOH, KOH, NH4OH, Mg (OH)2 Ca (OH)2

General properties of bases:

 They have a bitter taste.
 They are soapy to touch.
 They turn red litmus to blue.
 They conduct electricity in solution form.
 They release OH– ions in aqueous solution

Chemical properties of Bases

(i) Reaction with some metals like zinc & aluminium
Base + metal → salt + hydrogen + heat
2NaOH + Zn → Na2ZnO2 + H2
(ii) Reaction with Non-metallic Oxides
Base + Non-metallic Oxides → salt + water
2NaOH + CO2 → Na2CO3 + H2O
(iii) Reaction with Acids (neutralization reaction)
Base + Acid → salt + water
NaOH + HCl → NaCl + H2O

Acids and bases in water

When added to water, acids and bases dissociate into their respective ions and help
in conducting electricity.

Difference between a base and an alkali

Base:
  Bases undergo neutralisation reaction with acids.
 They are comprised of metal oxides, metal hydroxides, metal carbonates and
metal bicarbonates.
 Most of them are insoluble in water.

Alkali:
 An alkali is an aqueous solution of a base, (mainly metallic hydroxides).
 It dissolves in water and dissociates to give OH− ion.
 All alkalis are bases, but not all bases are alkalis.

Dilution

 An acid which contains minimum possible amount of water in it is called

concentrated acid.
 Dilution is the process of reducing the concentration of a solution by adding
more solvent (usually water) to it.
 It is a highly exothermic process.
 To dilute acid, the acid must be added to water and not the other way
round.

Strong Acids Strong Base

An acid which completely dissociates into A base which completely dissociates into
its ions in aqueous solution. its ions in aqueous solution.
For example: Hydrochloric acid (HCl), For example: Sodium hydroxide (NaOH),
Sulphuric acid (H2SO4), Nitric acid (HNO3) Potassium hydroxide (KOH)

Weak Acids Weak Base

An acid which does not completely A base which does not completely
dissociate into dissociate into its ions in aqueous solution.
its ions in aqueous solutions. For example: Ammonium hydroxide
For example: Acetic acid (CH3COOH), (NH4OH).
Carbonic acid (H2CO3)

Concept of pH scale
 Strength of an acid or base can be determined using a pH scale.
 It is a scale to measure the hydrogen ion concentration in a solution.
 The p stands for ‘potenz’, it is a German word which means power.
Water or neutral solutions: pH = 7,
For acidic solutions: pH < 7,
For basic solutions: pH > 7

Importance of pH in everyday life

(i) pH in our digestive system:

 Our stomach produces hydrochloric acid that helps in the digestion of food.
 During indigestion the stomach produces too much acid and this causes pain
and irritation.
 To get rid of this pain, antacids like magnesium hydroxide [Mg(OH)2] also
known as milk of magnesia and sodium hydrogen carbonate (baking soda)
are used to neutralize excess acid.
(ii) Tooth decay caused by acids:
 Bacteria present in the mouth produce acids by degradation of sugar and food
particles remaining in the mouth after eating.
 When the pH of acid formed in the mouth falls below 5.5, tooth-decaying
starts.
 The best way to prevent this is to clean the mouth after eating food.
(iii) pH of soil and plant growth:
 Most of the plants require a specific pH range (close to 7) for their healthy
growth.
 If the soil is too acidic or basic, the plants grow badly or do not grow at all.
 pH of the soil can be adjusted by using certain chemicals. For example, if the
soil is too acidic then it is treated with materials like quicklime or slaked lime.
 On the other hand, if the soil is too alkaline then alkalinity can be reduced by
adding decaying organic matter.

Universal indicator
• The common indicators can tell us which substance is acidic or basic, but it
can’t tell the relative strengths of acids & bases.
• So, we use universal indicator.
• Universal indicator is a mixture of many different indicators which give
different colors at different values.
 Salt
• Salts are formed when an acid reacts with a base.
• This reaction is also called neutralization reaction.
Acid + Base → Salt + Water
• The family of a salt is decided by its positive as well as negative ion.
• NaCl is sodium salt & chloride salt.

Preparation and uses of important compounds

Caustic Soda (Sodium Hydroxide, NaOH)

Preparation:
 In the process of electrolytic decomposition of brine (aqueous solution of
sodium chloride), brine decomposes to form sodium hydroxide.
2NaCl(aq) + 2H2O(l) → 2NaOH(aq) + Cl2(g) + H2(g)
 In this process, chlorine is obtained at anode and hydrogen gas is obtained at
cathode as by products.
 This whole process is known as Chlor –Alkali process.

Chlor alkali process

• Brine solution & water breaks into ions.

NaCl → N𝒂+ + C𝐥−
H2O → 𝐇 + + O𝐇 −

• At cathode: 2𝐇 + + (2-) → H2

• At anode: 2C𝐥− + (2+) → Cl2

• Overall reaction: N𝒂+ + O𝐇 − → NaOH

Note:
 • During chlor-alkali process, apart from NaOH, hydrogen & chlorine gas is also
formed.
• Hydrogen gas is produced at cathode.
• Chlorine gas is produced at anode.
Uses oh NaOH:
 Sodium hydroxide is used for:
o It is used for making soap & detergents.
o It is used in making rayons.
o It is used in manufacturing of paper.
o It is used in purification of Bauxite (aluminium ore).
o It is used in degreasing metals, oil refining, making dyes &
bleaches.
 Hydrogen id used for:
o It is used in hydrogenation of oil to obtain solid fats.
o It is used in production of hydrochloric acid.
o It is used to make ammonia for fertilizers.
o It is used to make methanol.
o Liquid hydrogen is used as fuel in rockets.
 Chlorine is used for:
o It is used to sterilize drinking water supply & water in the
swimming pool.
o It is used to in making bleaching powder.
o It is used in production of hydrochloric acid.
o It is used to make plastics, pesticides, chloro-floro-carbon, paints
etc.

Bleaching Powder (Calcium Oxychloride, CaOCl2)

Preparation:
Bleaching powder is produced by the action of chlorine on dry slaked lime [Ca
(OH)2].

Ca (OH)2 + Cl2→ CaOCl2 + H2O

Uses:
o for bleaching cotton and linen in the textile industry
o for bleaching wood pulp in paper factories
o for bleaching washed clothes in laundry.
o as an oxidising agent in many chemical industries.
o to make drinking water free from germs

Baking Soda (Sodium Hydrogen Carbonate, NaHCO3)

Preparation:
  The chemical name of the compound is sodium hydrogen carbonate
(NaHCO3).
 It is produced by the reaction of brine with carbon dioxide and ammonia.
 This is known as Solvay process.

NaCl + H2O + CO2 + NH3 → NH4Cl + NaHCO3

Ammonium Baking
chloride soda
Uses:

(i) Baking soda is used in making of baking powder, which is used in cooking.
Baking powder is a mixture of baking soda (sodium hydrogen carbonate) and a
mild edible acid such as tartaric acid.

When baking powder is heated or mixed in water, the following reaction takes place
–

NaHCO3 + H+ (from acid) → CO2 + H2O + Sodium salt of acid

Carbon dioxide produced during the reaction can cause bread or cake to rise
making them soft and spongy.

(ii) Baking soda (sodium hydrogen carbonate) is also an ingredient in antacids.

Being alkaline, it neutralizes excess acid in the stomach and provides relief.

(iii) It is also used in soda-acid fire extinguishers.

Q. How does baking powder help in bakeries?

• Baking powder = baking soda + edible acid

• When baking powder is dissolved in water, then the baking soda reacts with
acid to form carbon dioxide.
• This carbon dioxide gets trapped in a dough and bubbles out slowly & hence
makes cake soft & fluffy.

Q. How is baking soda used in fire extinguishers?

• Baking soda solution & sulphuric acid solution is present in separate
containers inside fire extinguisher.
• When it is used, sulphuric acid mixes with baking soda solution to produce a
lot of carbon dioxide gas which extinguishes fire.

Washing Soda (Sodium Carbonate, Na2CO3.10H2O)

Preparation:
Sodium carbonate is manufactured by the thermal decomposition of sodium
hydrogen carbonate obtained by Solvay process.

NaCl + NH3 + H2O + CO2 → NaHCO3 + NH4Cl

Baking soda
𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒕
NaHCO3 → Na2CO3 + CO2 + H2O

Sodium carbonate
(soda ash)
Na2CO3 + 10 H2O → Na2CO3.10H2O
Properties:
• It is a transparent crystalline solid.
• Its solution in water is basic in nature.
• It has cleansing property.
Uses:
 Sodium carbonate (washing soda) is used in glass, soap and paper industries.
 It is used in the manufacture of sodium compounds such as borax.
 Sodium carbonate can be used as a cleaning agent for domestic purposes.
 It is used for removing permanent hardness of water

Plaster of Paris (CaSO4. ½ H2O)

It is also called Calcium Sulphate Hemihydrate.

Preparation:
 On heating gypsum at 373 K, it loses water molecules and becomes calcium
sulphate hemihydrate (CaSO4. ½H2O) which is called Plaster of Paris.

𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒕 𝟏𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝑪
CaSO4.2H2O (s) → CaSO4. ½ H2O + 𝟑⁄𝟐H2O

Gypsum Plaster of paris

 Plaster of Paris is a white powder and on mixing with water, it changes to
gypsum once again giving a hard-solid mass.

CaSO4. ½H2O + 1½H2O → CaSO4.2H2O

Plaster of paris Gypsum
Water of crystallization
• The water molecule which form a part of the structure of a crystal of a salt
are called water of crystallization.
• The salts which contain water of crystallization are called hydrated salt.
Note:
 Water of crystallization is not free water, so it doesn’t wet the salt.
 Water of crystallization provides shape & in some cases colour also.
Hydrated Salt Formula Color

Copper sulphate CuSO4.5H2O Blue

Sodium carbonate (washing soda) Na₂CO₃.10H2O White

Calcium sulphate (gypsum) CaSO4.2H2O white

Iron sulphate FeSO4.7H2O Green