Acids, Bases and Salts – Key Vocabulary
Indicators and Detection of Acids & Bases
- Taste vs. Laboratory Testing
- Sour taste ↔ acids; bitter taste ↔ bases.
- Practical remedy for acidity (overeating): suggest baking_soda \text{(basic)} solution because bases neutralise excess stomach acid.
- Natural indicators
- Litmus (purple dye from lichen)
- Acid → blue litmus turns red.
- Base → red litmus turns blue.
- Turmeric
- Turns reddish-brown with soap (basic); returns yellow after rinsing.
- Red-cabbage extract, petals of Hydrangea, Petunia, Geranium, etc.
- Synthetic indicators
- Methyl orange: acid → red; base → yellow.
- Phenolphthalein: acid → colourless; base → pink.
- Olfactory indicators
- Onion, vanilla, clove change/disappear odour in acidic or basic media.
Laboratory Identification Activity (Activity 2.1)
- Provided solutions: \text{HCl},\;\text{H}_2\text{SO}_4,\;\text{HNO}_3,\;\text{CH}_3\text{COOH},\;\text{NaOH},\;\text{Ca(OH)}_2,\;\text{KOH},\;\text{Mg(OH)}_2,\;\text{NH}_4\text{OH}.
- Test each with red/blue litmus, phenolphthalein, methyl orange; compile colour changes in Table 2.1.
- Puzzle: Given red litmus only & 3 unknown test tubes (water, acid, base):
- Dip strip in each sample. 2. One that remains red → either acid or water; one that turns blue → base. 3. Use blue strip produced to test remaining two; differentiate further.
Reactions with Metals (Activity 2.3 & 2.4)
General reaction:
\text{Acid} + \text{Metal} \;\to\; \text{Salt} + \text{H}_2\uparrow
Example with Zn + dilute \text{H}_2\text{SO}_4: bubbles of \text{H}_2 collected through soap → burning pop sound.
Bases (strong) with some metals (e.g., Zn + NaOH when warmed):
2\text{NaOH}_\text{(aq)} + \text{Zn}_\text{(s)} \to \text{Na}_2\text{ZnO}_2 + \text{H}_2\uparrow
(Sodium zincate formation.)
Not all metals respond similarly (e.g., Cu shows no reaction).
Reactions with Metal Carbonates / Hydrogencarbonates (Activity 2.5)
Summary:
\text{Metal carbonate or hydrogencarbonate} + \text{Acid} \to \text{Salt} + \text{CO}_2\uparrow + \text{H}_2\text{O}
Example equations:
- \text{Na}_2\text{CO}_3 + 2\text{HCl} \to 2\text{NaCl} + \text{H}_2\text{O} + \text{CO}_2
- \text{NaHCO}_3 + \text{HCl} \to \text{NaCl} + \text{H}_2\text{O} + \text{CO}_2
\text{CO}_2 bubbled through lime water \big(\text{Ca(OH)}_2\big):
\text{Ca(OH)}_2 + \text{CO}_2 \to \text{CaCO}_3\downarrow + \text{H}_2\text{O} (milky).
Excess \text{CO}_2 dissolves precipitate: \text{CaCO}_3 + \text{H}_2\text{O} + \text{CO}_2 \to \text{Ca(HCO}_3)_2 (soluble).
Neutralisation (Activity 2.6)
Acid + Base → Salt + Water; demonstrated with phenolphthalein:
\text{NaOH}_\text{(aq)} + \text{HCl}_\text{(aq)} \to \text{NaCl}_\text{(aq)} + \text{H}_2\text{O}_\text{(l)}
Colour cycle: basic (pink) → add acid (colourless) → add base (pink again).
Metallic & Non-metallic Oxide Reactions
- Metallic oxides = basic oxides; behave like bases vs. acids:
- \text{CuO} + 2\text{HCl} \to \text{CuCl}_2 + \text{H}_2\text{O} (solution turns blue-green).
- Non-metallic oxides = acidic oxides; behave like acids vs. bases:
- \text{Ca(OH)}_2 + \text{CO}_2 \to \text{CaCO}_3 + \text{H}_2\text{O} (lime water test again).
Common Features of Acids & Bases (Section 2.2)
Acids produce \text{H}^+ (actually \text{H}_3\text{O}^+) in aqueous solution.
Bases/alkalis produce \text{OH}^- in aqueous solution.
Demonstration with conductivity apparatus (6 V battery, bulb):
- Bulb glows for \text{HCl}, \text{H}_2\text{SO}_4 solutions (ions present).
- No glow for glucose or ethanol though they contain hydrogen → hydrogen must be ionisable.
Dry \text{HCl} gas does not change dry litmus: ionisation requires water.
In presence of water: \text{HCl} + \text{H}_2\text{O} \to \text{H}_3\text{O}^+ + \text{Cl}^-.
Bases in water:
\text{NaOH}_\text{(s)} \xrightarrow{\text{H}_2\text{O}} \text{Na}^+ + \text{OH}^- etc.
Dilution & Exothermic Mixing (Activity 2.10)
- Adding concentrated acid/base to water releases heat (exothermic).
- Safety rule: "Add acid to water, never water to acid" to avoid splashes & glass breakage.
- Dilution lowers [\text{H}_3\text{O}^+] or [\text{OH}^-] per unit volume.
pH Scale & Universal Indicator (Section 2.3)
- \text{pH} = -\log_{10}[\text{H}^+] (conceptually).
- Range 0–14:
- <7 acidic (0 extremely strong).
- neutral.>7 basic (14 extremely strong).
- Universal indicator colours (approx.): red (1), orange (3), yellow-green (5–6), green (7), blue (9), violet (12+).
- Strength depends on degree of ionisation:
- Strong acid: fully ionises (e.g., \text{HCl}).
- Weak acid: partial (e.g., \text{CH}_3\text{COOH}).
Everyday Relevance of pH
- Human blood/stomach: optimum pH 7.0–7.8; deviation harms metabolism.
- Acid rain: pH <5.6; damages aquatic life, monuments.
- Soil pH: affects crop suitability; farmers add quicklime \text{(CaO)}/slaked lime \text{(Ca(OH)}_2) or chalk \text{(CaCO}_3) to neutralise acidic soil. Digestion & antacids: excess stomach acid neutralised by \text{Mg(OH)}_2 (milk of magnesia) baking soda. Tooth decay: enamel dissolves below pH 5.5; bacteria generate acids; toothpastes (basic) counteract. Chemical defence: bee sting nettle hair inject methanoic acid; relief via mild base (baking soda) dock leaf sap (basic).
Salts: Types, pH & Families (Section 2.4)
- Salt = ionic compound formed from acid + base reaction.
- Family concept: same cation or anion.
- Example: \text{NaCl}, \text{KCl} → chloride family; \text{Na}_2\text{SO}_4, \text{K}_2\text{SO}_4 → sulphate family.
- Salt pH depends on parent acid/base strength:
- Strong acid + strong base → neutral (pH 7) e.g., \text{NaCl}.
- Strong acid + weak base → acidic (pH <7) e.g., \text{NH}_4\text{Cl} .
- Weak acid + strong base → basic (pH>7) e.g., \text{Na}_2\text{CO}_3 .
Common Salt (NaCl) & the Chlor-Alkali Process
- Brine electrolysis:
2\text{NaCl}_\text{(aq)} + 2\text{H}_2\text{O}_\text{(l)} \xrightarrow{\text{electricity}} 2\text{NaOH}_\text{(aq)} + \text{Cl}_2\uparrow + \text{H}_2\uparrow. - Co-products & their major uses (Fig 2.8):
- \text{NaOH}: soaps, paper, rayon, cleaning agents.
- \text{Cl}_2: PVC, disinfectants, CFCs, pesticides.
- \text{H}_2: fuels, margarine, ammonia synthesis.
Bleaching Powder (Ca(OCl)₂)
- Manufacture: \text{Ca(OH)}_2 + \text{Cl}_2 \to \text{Ca(OCl)}_2 + \text{H}_2\text{O} + \text{CaCl}_2.
- Uses: textile/paper bleaching, oxidising agent, water sterilisation.
Baking Soda (NaHCO₃)
- Made via Solvay route: \text{NaCl} + \text{H}_2\text{O} + \text{CO}_2 + \text{NH}_3 \to \text{NaHCO}_3 + \text{NH}_4\text{Cl}.
- Properties: mild basic; pH >7.
- Uses:
- Baking powder (mixture with tartaric acid) → \text{CO}_2 leavens dough.
- Antacid for indigestion.
- Component of soda-acid fire extinguishers.
- Heating: 2\text{NaHCO}_3 \xrightarrow{\Delta} \text{Na}_2\text{CO}_3 + \text{H}_2\text{O} + \text{CO}_2.
Washing Soda (Na₂CO₃·10H₂O)
- Obtain by recrystallising \text{Na}_2\text{CO}_3 from hot water:
\text{Na}_2\text{CO}_3 + 10\text{H}_2\text{O} \to \text{Na}_2\text{CO}_3\cdot10\text{H}_2\text{O}. - Uses: glass, soap, paper manufacture; domestic cleaning; water-softening; precursor to borax.
Water of Crystallisation (Activity 2.15)
- Defined: fixed no. of water molecules incorporated in crystal lattice.
- Example 1: Blue \text{CuSO}_4\cdot5\text{H}_2\text{O} → on heating gives white \text{CuSO}_4; colour returns when re-hydrated.
- Example 2: Gypsum \text{CaSO}_4\cdot2\text{H}_2\text{O}.
- Plaster of Paris (POP): heating gypsum to 373 K: \text{CaSO}_4\cdot2\text{H}_2\text{O} \xrightarrow{373\,\text{K}} \text{CaSO}_4\cdot\tfrac12\text{H}_2\text{O} + \tfrac{3}{2}\text{H}_2\text{O}.
- Reacts with water to reset into hard gypsum → casts for fractured bones, decorative items.
Ethical / Historical Notes & Real-World Connections
- Rock salt mining & Gandhi’s 1930 Dandi March: protest against British salt tax.
- Environmental note: Venus’ clouds contain \text{H}_2\text{SO}_4 → hostile to life.
- Safety symbols: concentrated acids/bases labelled with corrosive sign (Fig 2.5).
- Traditional remedies: dock plant (basic juice) neutralises nettle acid sting.
Numerical / Stoichiometric Highlights
- Carbonate tests (Activity 2.5): gas volume proportional to amount of carbonate.
- Titration example: 10 mL NaOH neutralised by 8 mL HCl ⇒ doubling volume to 20 mL needs 16 mL HCl (exercise 3).
Formulae / Equations Compendium
- Metal + Acid: \text{Zn} + 2\text{HCl} \to \text{ZnCl}_2 + \text{H}_2.
- Metal Carbonate + Acid: \text{Na}_2\text{CO}_3 + 2\text{CH}_3\text{COOH} \to 2\text{CH}_3\text{COONa} + \text{H}_2\text{O} + \text{CO}_2.
- Neutralisation (ionic): \text{H}^+ + \text{OH}^- \to \text{H}_2\text{O}.
- POP setting: \text{CaSO}_4\cdot\tfrac12\text{H}_2\text{O} + \tfrac32\text{H}_2\text{O} \to \text{CaSO}_4\cdot2\text{H}_2\text{O}.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Indicator, olfactory indicator, neutralisation, alkali, pH, universal indicator, water of crystallisation, strong/weak acid/base.
Practical / Exam Tips
- Always write state symbols (aq, s, l, g) and balance equations.
- For salt pH predictions, memorise rule: strong vs. weak parent acid/base.
- In viva/MCQ, recall: acid + metal → \text{H}_2 (pop sound test); carbonate test gives milky lime water.
- Safety: