Chemistry: Acids, Bases, and Salts Study Guide

Properties of Acids

• Sour taste when dissolved in water.
• Turn litmus red from blue.
• React with metals (e.g., zinc, iron) to liberate hydrogen gas.

Properties of Bases

• Bitter taste when dissolved in water.
• Turn litmus blue from red.
• Feel slippery; react with fats to form soap.

Arrhenius Theory

• Arrhenius Acid: Produces hydrogen ions (H1+) in water.
• Arrhenius Base: Produces hydroxide ions (OH1-) in water.
• Acidic Character: Determined by the presence of H1+ ions.
• Basic Character: Determined by the presence of OH1- ions.

Ionization vs Dissociation

• Ionization (Acid): Acids produce ions upon dissolution (e.g., HNO3 yields H1+ and NO3-).
• Dissociation (Base): Bases separate into existing ions when dissolved (e.g., RbOH yields Rb1+ and OH1-).

Limitations of Arrhenius Theory

• Limited to aqueous solutions.
• Cannot explain basicity of non-hydroxide compounds (e.g., NH3).

Bronsted-Lowry Theory

• Bronsted-Lowry Acid: Substance that can donate H1+.
• Bronsted-Lowry Base: Substance that can accept H1+.
• Reactions involve both acids and bases.

Hydronium Ion

• Hydronium Ion (H3O1+): Formed when water accepts H1+.
• Reaction: H1+ + H2O → H3O1+.

Amphoteric/Amphiprotic Substances

• They can either donate or accept H1+ (e.g., water).
• Have a hydrogen atom to lose and a lone pair to accept H1+.

Chemical Reactions

• Example Equations:
  • Acid: H2O + H2O ⇄ H3O1+ + OH1- (Equilibrium: Keq = 1.00 x 10^-14)
  • pH Calculation: pH = -log([H3O1+]).
  • pOH Calculation: pOH = -log([OH1-]).
  • Relationship: pH + pOH = 14.

Concentration and Neutralization

• Titration equations for neutralization depend on the stoichiometry of the acid-base reaction.
• Example: HCl + NaOH → H2O + NaCl (MA)(VA) = (MB)(VB).

Acidic vs Basic Solutions

• Acidic: [H3O1+] > [OH1-].
• Basic: [OH1-] > [H3O1+].