ACIDS &
BASES
BY ROBERT MCGEE
MODIFIED BY NIDHI PERIWAL
WHY LEARN ABOUT ACIDS &
BASES?
• What is the pH in our stomach, which needs
for proper digestion?
• The pH of a swimming pool must be checked
periodically. Why?
• Is it important for Lakes & Rivers to maintain
a certain pH?
What is an ACID?
• pH less than 7
• It turns blue litmus paper red
• Has sour taste
• Neutralizes bases
• Forms H + ions in solution
• Corrosive-reacts with most
metals to form hydrogen gas
• Good conductors of electricity
Acids Generate Ions
When dissolved in water, acids give
hydrogen ions
HCl 🡪 H + + Cl-
Weak vs. Strong Acids
• An acid is a substance that breaks into H +
ions in an aqueous solution.
• Strong acids break to form 100% H + ions.
• Lesser the pH, stronger is the acid.
• Strong Acids are Hydrochloric, Nitric; Sulfuric
acids
• Weak Acids do not ionize completely: Acetic,
Boric, Nitrous, Phosphoric, Sulfurous
CHARACTERISTICS OF BASES
A Base is characterized by:
• It has pH more than 7
1. A bitter taste. (Milk of Magnesia)
2. It feels slippery. (Soapy Water)
3. It turns Red Litmus Blue.
4. A good conductor of electricity.
5. It dissolves in water to give OH
ions.
Common Bases
• NaOH- sodium hydroxide (LYE) soaps, drain cleaner
• Mg (OH)2 - magnesium hydroxide-antacids
• Al(OH)3-aluminum hydroxide-antacids, deodorants
• NH4OH-ammonium hydroxide- “ammonia”
Acids and
bases
• The pH is a measure of how acidic (H+) or
basic (-OH) a solution is.
• A scale with values ranging from below 0 to
above 14 is used to measure pH.
More acidic More basic
Neutral
Acids and
bases
• Acids have a lot of Hydrogen ions (H+) and
bases have a lot of Hydroxide ions (-
OH).
• A solution is neutral if its pH equals seven.
More acidic More basic
H+ H+ + H+ - H
H OH
+
H+
Neutral -
OH H+
-
OH -OH -OH
H+ H+ + H+ H+ H+ -
OH - -
OH
H OH -OH
H+ H+ (H+) + (-OH) = -
OH -
OH -
OH
H+ +H
+ H +
+
-
OH -OH
H H H2O
H+ H+
-
OH H+
-
OH -
OH
H +
WHAT IS THE
• The pH scale
PH SCALE?
measures how
acidic or
basic a
solution is.
pH Scale
Acids and
bases
►Substances with a pH
below 7 are acidic.
An acid is any
substance that forms
hydrogen ions (H+) in
water.
Vinegar (pH 3)
Acids and
bases
• Substances with a
pH above 7 are
basic. A base is
any substance
that forms hydroxide
ions (-OH) in water.
Ammonia (pH 11)
NEUTRAL SUBSTANCE
• What happens when the pH of a substance is
7?
• Ans: A pH level of 7 indicates a Neutral
Substance i.e: Water!
TEST YOUR
KNOWLEDGE
• What is the range of an ACID on the pH
scale?
Ans: 0-7
• What is the range of a BASE and what is
another name for a BASE?
Ans: 7-14, Alkaline
Importance of pH in the natural world
►Acids and bases can also cause
many substances to fall apart
because they can force the
bonds to break by taking away
Hydrogens and Hydroxides
from them to make water.
►Acids and bases are used in
cooking, cleaning, making
computers, batteries, enzyme
reactions in your body,
digestion, and countless other
things.
Neutralization Reactions
Acid + Base 🡪 Salt + Water
• When an acid and a base reacts, they
neutralize each other’s properties and
form salt and water.
• HCl + NaOH 🡪 NaCl + HOH
salt
water
Acid-Base Neutralization
Reactions
HCl(aq) + NaOH(aq) → NaCl(aq) +
H2O(l)
• The products of an acid-base
neutralization reaction are a salt
made up of the positive ion of the
base (Na+) and the negative ion (Cl-)
of the acid, and water.
Neutralisation in
Everyday Life
Indigestion
Our stomach contains hydrochloric
acid. It helps us to digest food. But
too much of acid in the stomach
causes indigestion. Sometimes
indigestion is painful. To relieve
indigestion, we take an antacid such
as milk of magnesia, which contains
magnesium hydroxide. It neutralises
the effect of excessive acid.
Ant sting
The sting of an ant contains formic
acid. When an ant bites, it
injects the acidic liquid into the skin.
The effect of the sting can be
neutralised by rubbing moist baking
soda (sodium hydrogen carbonate)
or calamine solution, which contains
zinc carbonate.
Soil Treatment
Excessive use of chemical fertilisers makes the
soil acidic. Plants do not grow well when the
soil is either too acidic or too basic. When the
soil is too acidic, it is treated with bases like
quick lime (calcium oxide ) or slaked lime
calcium hydroxide . If the soil is basic, organic
matter is added to it. Organic matter releases
acids which neutralises the basic nature of the
soil.
Factory Wastes
The wastes of many factories
contain acids. If they are allowed to
flow in to the water bodies, the acids
will kill fish and other organisms. The
factory wastes are, there fore,
neutralised by adding basic
substances.
