Acids and Alkalis Notes

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Chemistry

Acids and Alkalis

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Contents

Acids and Alkalis

What are acids and alkalis?

Indicators and the pH scale

Neutralization

Summary activities

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What is an acid?
Acids are a group of chemicals that donate a proton
in a reaction.
What do you know about acids? Are all acids
dangerous?

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What is an acid?

everyday acids laboratory acids

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What are acids?
Acids are
substances that:
Have a pH
below 7 and
turn universal
indicator yellow,
orange or red.

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Properties of acids
• An acid is a substance that releases
hydrogen ions (H+) into an aqueous (water)
solution.
• are corrosive.
• have a sour taste
• turn blue litmus paper red
• react with some metals, releasing hydrogen
gas and leaving a salt behind
• conduct electricity
• are neutralized by bases, producing water
and a salt.
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What is a strong acid?
Some acids, like those found in the laboratory or a
car battery, dissolve completely in solution. They
are very dangerous (too dangerous to taste or
touch).

These acids are said to be corrosive as they can


damage other materials by eating them away! They
are strong acids.
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What is a weak acid?
Many acids are found in household items such as
food, drink and beauty/skincare products.

These acids do not dissolve completely in solution


and are known as weak acids.
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Wear Safety Glasses!!!

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What is an alkali?
Alkalis, or bases, are another group of chemicals,
the opposite of acids.

everyday alkalis laboratory alkalis

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Properties of Bases
• A base is a substance that releases
hydroxide ions (OH–) in an aqueous
solution.
• are caustic
• have a soapy, slimy feel
• turn red litmus paper blue
• have a bitter taste
• conduct electricity
• are neutralized by acids, producing
water and a salt.

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What is a strong alkali?
Some alkalis, like those in the laboratory or in
cleaning materials such as toilet cleaner, dissolve
completely in solution and are too dangerous to
touch.

These alkalis are said to be caustic because they


can burn skin and damage other materials! They
are strong alkalis, or bases.
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What is a weak alkali?
Alkalis are found in soaps and other materials used
for cleaning. It is safe to handle these alkalis, which
can feel soapy.

These do not dissolve completely in solution and


are known as weak alkalis, or weak bases.
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Contents

Acids and Alkalis

What are acids and alkalis?

Indicators and the pH scale

Neutralization

Summary activities

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What is an indicator?
How can you test a liquid to find if it is an acid or an
alkali?
An indicator is a special chemical that changes
to a different color in an acid or an alkali.
Litmus paper and litmus solution
are examples of indicators.

Litmus is Litmus is
red in acid. blue in alkali.

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Litmus test experiment

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What is universal indicator?
Litmus is used to show if a solution is acid or alkali.
Litmus does not show if the acid or alkali is weak or
strong.
Universal indicator has a range of colors that show
how weak or strong the acid or alkali is.
stronger acid stronger alkali

strong weak weak strong


acid acid neutral alkali alkali
What is the color for a weak acid?
What is the color for a strong alkali?
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What is the pH scale?
The strength of an acid or alkali is measured by the
pH scale.
Each universal indicator color is given a number
called the pH value.
Universal indicator can tell you the pH of a solution.
stronger acid stronger alkali

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
strong weak weak strong
acid acid neutral alkali alkali
What is the pH of a weak acid?
What is the pH of strong alkali?
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What is the pH?

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What type of substance?
Are these substances acidic or alkaline?
Are they weak or strong?
Substance pH Description of acid/alkali
soda water 6 very weak acid
car battery acid 1 very strong acid
soap 8 very weak alkali
washing soda 10 weak alkali
stomach acid 2 strong acid
oven cleaner 14 very strong alkali
vinegar 4 weak acid

acid 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 alkali

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Contents

Acids and Alkalis

What are acids and alkalis?

Indicators and the pH scale

Neutralization

Summary activities

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Mixing an acid and an alkali
What happens when an acid and an alkali are
mixed?

?
Mixing an acid and an alkali causes a chemical
change.
This chemical change is called a chemical reaction.
How do you know this chemical reaction has taken
place?
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What is neutralization?
The chemical reaction between an acid and an
alkali is called neutralization.

acid alkali a salt water


What happens to the pH value of the reaction
mixture during neutralization?
The pH value of the reaction mixture becomes
closer to 7.
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What is neutralization?

The chemical reaction between an acid and an


alkali can be written as:

acid alkali a salt water

What are the two new substances produced by a


neutralization reaction?

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Neutralization and indigestion

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Neutralizing stings
A bee sting A wasp sting
is acidic. is alkaline.

Why can Why can vinegar


bicarbonate of (pH 3) be used to
soda (pH 9) be used treat a wasp sting?
to treat a bee sting?

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Neutralizing soil
Soils in different places
can be acidic, alkaline or
neutral.
Many plants do not grow
well in acidic soil.
Why do farmers test
soil to check the pH?
Farmers often add an alkali to acidic soil to make
their plants grow better.
How does the alkali help to treat the acidic
soil?
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Neutralizing acid rain
Gases emitted by cars, power
stations and factories mix with
rainwater in the atmosphere.
This rainwater has a pH <5.5.
Why is it called acid rain?
Acid rain can have a
harmful effect on the
environment killing trees,
polluting lakes and
damaging buildings.
How can the effects of
acid rain be prevented?
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Contents

Acids and Alkalis

What are acids and alkalis?

Indicators and the pH scale

Neutralization

Summary activities

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Glossary
 acid – A chemical that has a pH less than 7.
 alkali – A chemical that has a pH greater than 7 and
dissolves in water.
 indicator – A special chemical that changes into different
colours in acid and alkali solutions.
 neutral – A chemical with a pH of 7 that is not an acid or
an alkali.
 neutralization – The chemical reaction between an acid
and an alkali.
 pH scale – The range of values that shows how strong or
weak an acid or alkali is.
 universal indicator – The indicator that shows the pH
value of a chemical.

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Anagrams

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Word search

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Facts about acids

 Weak acids, like lemon juice and vinegar, taste


sour.
 Strong acids are corrosive and can “eat away”
at metal, stone and flesh!
 Acids turns blue litmus paper red.
 Acids have a pH of less than 7.
 Acids can be neutralized with alkalis.
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Facts about alkalis

 Alkalis feel soapy and are used in household


cleaning materials.
 Strong alkalis are caustic.
 Alkalis turn red litmus paper blue.
 Alkalis have a pH of more than 7.
 Alkalis can be neutralized with acids.

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Multiple-choice quiz

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Guided Notes
Guided Notes for Acids and Alkalis
What is an acid?
Acids are substances that have a pH ____________ 7 and turn universal indicator
yellow, orange or _________.
Properties of Acids
• An acid is a substance that releases ____________ ions (H+) into an ____________ (water) solution.

• are ____________.

• have a ____________ taste

• turn ____________ litmus paper ____________

• react with some ____________, releasing ____________ gas and leaving a ____________ behind

• ____________ electricity

• are neutralized by ____________, producing water and a salt.


What is a strong acid?
Some acids, like those found in the laboratory or a ____________ battery, ____________ completely in solution. They

are very dangerous (too dangerous to taste or touch).

These acids are said to be ________________________ as they can damage other materials by eating them away!

What is a weak acid?

Many acids are found in household items such as food, drink and _________________ /skincare products.

These acids do ____________ dissolve completely in solution and are known as ____________ acids.

What is an alkali?

Alkalis, or ____________ , are another group of chemicals, the ________________________ of acids.


Properties of Bases
• A base is a substance that releases ____________ ions ____________ in an ____________ solution.

• are ________________________

• have a ____________, ____________ feel

• turn ____________ litmus paper ____________

• have a ____________ taste

• ________________________electricity

• are neutralized by ____________, producing water and a salt.

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