Acids and Bases
An Introduction to Acids and Bases
- Scientists tend to classify things and denoting them. For example, ‘acids and bases’.
- If a solution is neither an acid or a base, it is known as a neutral solution.
Properties of Acids and Bases
| Acids | Bases |
|---|---|
| Taste sour | Taste bitter |
| Turn litmus paper red | Turn litmus paper blue |
| Are corrosive | Are corrosive |
| Release | Release |
Common Acids and Bases
- Some common examples of acids include…
- Hydrochloric acid (
) - used in cleaning brickwork - Sulfuric acid (
) - used in car batteries - Acetic acid (
) - used in vinegar
- Hydrochloric acid (
- Some common examples of bases include…
- Sodium hydroxide (
) - used in soaps - Ammonium hydroxide (
) - used in household cleaners - Sodium hydrogen carbonate (
) - used in baking soda
- Sodium hydroxide (
pH Scale
/science/Chemistry/(Meta)-Resources/ph_scale.png)
- pH scale stands for “potential of hydrogen”.
- ph scale is also logarithmic (10x, 100x, 1000x)
Indicators
- Indicators are substances that undergo colour changes in either acids, bases, or both.
- This allows scientists to identify a solution as acidic or basic.
- Some examples include litmus and universal.
Neutral Solution
- An example of a neutral solution would be water.
- The charges of
cancel with , making it have a neutral charge. (See here for more information about charges, specifically ions.)
Neutralisation
- Neutralisation occurs with the following word equation.
Acid + Base → Salt + Water
- You can achieve a neutralisation reaction by applying this word equation in a chemical formula. For example…
Example of a Neutralisation Reaction
- In the chemical formula, hydrogen and hydroxide combine to make water.
- Sodium and chloride form to make a salt.