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IGCSE Chemistry – Acids Alkalis Bases & Salts Revision Notes 1
(4.4) Common Acids & Alkalis:

Learn the Names and Formulae:
Laboratory Acids: Laboratory Alkalis:
Hydrochloric acid HCl Sodium Hydroxide Solution NaOH
Sulphuric Acid H2SO4 Ammonia Solution (Ammonium Hydroxide) NH4OH
Nitric Acid HNO3 Limewater (Calcium Hydroxide Soln.) Ca(OH)2
Note: Not all acids (and alkalis) are strong & corrosive – many weak and harmless acids are
common in nature and everyday solutions – carbonic acid (fizzy drinks & acid rain) / citric acid
(citrus fruits) / lactic acid (milk & dairy products – product of anaerobic respiration in muscles) /
acetic (ethanoic) acid (vinegar) – the strong sulphuric acid is used in car batteries
Acids as ‘Proton Donors’:

 All acids contain hydrogen – (but not all substances containing hydrogen are acids!)
 In water (i.e. in solution) acids dissociate (split up) into positive / negative charged ions:
o HCl ––> H+ + Cl- H2SO4 ––> 2H+ + SO42- HNO3 ––> H+ + NO3-
 But remember: hydrogen – atomic number 1 – one proton in nucleus – loss of electron leaves a
single proton – the hydrogen ion (H+) is in fact a proton – acids are proton donors
 Strong acids (hydrochloric / sulphuric / nitric) dissociate easily (all the molecules split up)
 Weak acids (carbonic in rainwater / ethanoic in vinegar etc.) do not dissociate easily
 Dilute & Concentrated refer to how much water acids are mixed with – not their strength
 The properties (e.g. sour / sharp taste) and reactions of acids are a result of this dissociation and
the ability of acids to ‘donate’ hydrogen protons / ions to form compounds
Similarly – Bases / Alkalis and the Hydroxide Ions:

 All alkalis in water dissociate to form hydroxide ions:
o NaOH ––> Na+ + OH- NH4OH ––> NH4+ + OH- Ca(OH)2 ––> Ca2+ + 2OH-
 Strong alkalis (sodium / potassium hydroxides) dissociate more easily than weak alkalis
(ammonium hydroxide) – don’t confuse strong & weak with concentrated & dilute
 Alkalis in solution have a bitter taste and a soapy feel because of the hydroxide ions
(4.1-4.3) Detecting Acids & Alkalis – pH & Indicators

The pH scale ranges from: 0 (strong acid) through 7 (neutral) to 14 (strong alkali)
Learn the Common Indicators:

Red Litmus (paper) - turns red in acidic solutions colour changes around pH 7 – show
Blue Litmus (paper) - turns blue in alkaline solutions even weakly acid / alkaline solutions
Phenolphthalein - colourless in acidic solutions used to show changes from acid to

- pink in alkaline solutions alkaline solutions
Methyl Orange - yellow in alkaline solutions used to show changes from alkaline to
- Red in acidic solutions acidic solutions
Universal Indicator (paper or solution)

A mixture of dyes - turns a wide range of colours over the whole pH range – not very accurate:
Using a pH Meter – extremely accurate – must first be calibrated against a solution of known pH
(4.9) Neutralisation:
 An acid and alkali together react to ‘cancel out’ each other producing a neutral solution
 In this reaction the hydrogen ions combine with the hydroxide ions to produce water:
H+ + OH- ––––––––> H2O
from: acid alkali neutral
Learn Some Common Examples of Neutralisation:

Toothpaste – is alkaline to neutralise acids produced by bacteria acting on sugars and damaging
tooth enamel.
‘Antacid’ or ‘anti-acid’ tablets, powders or solutions are alkaline to neutralise the hydrochloric
acid (HCl) in the stomach if you suffer from ‘acid indigestion’ or an upset stomach
Farmers add ‘slaked lime’ containing alkaline calcium hydroxide to neutralise acidic soil to
improve crop growth.
In the Laboratory:
Titration Using a Burette:
- Using sodium hydroxide solution in the burette,
hydrochloric acid solution and universal indicator in the
flask:
- At the start the indicator is red.
- As alkali is slowly added the colour changes through light
red to orange to yellow and to green.
- This is because the alkali is steadily neutralising the acid.
- The green colour indicates a neutral solution has formed.
- If titration continues the colour changes through blue to
dark blue to purple as the neutral solution becomes more and
more alkaline.
Equations for this reaction:
Word Equation: Hydrochloric Acid + Sodium Hydroxide ––––> Sodium Chloride + Water
Chemical Equation: HCl(aq) + NaOH(aq) ––––> NaCl(aq) + H2O(l)
General Equation: ACID + BASE/ALKALI ––––> SALT + WATER
LEARN THE DEFINITIONS:

 BASES are oxides and hydroxides that react with acids to make SALTS and WATER
 SOLUBLE BASES are called ALKALIS
 ALKALINE is an adjective – insoluble bases can be alkaline even if they are not alkalis
 SALTS are compounds formed when the hydrogen iron of an acid is replaced by a metal ion or
an ammonium ion
Remember: Hydrochloric Acid makes Chloride salts e.g. NaCl

Sulphuric Acid makes Sulphate salts NaSO4
Nitric Acid makes Nitrate salts NaNO3
Phosphoric Acid makes Phosphate salts Na3PO4

Sodium Salts

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IGCSE Chemistry – Acids Alkalis Bases & Salts Revision Notes 1

(4.4) Common Acids & Alkalis:

Acids as ‘Proton Donors’:

Similarly – Bases / Alkalis and the Hydroxide Ions:

(4.1-4.3) Detecting Acids & Alkalis – pH & Indicators

Learn the Common Indicators:

Phenolphthalein - colourless in acidic solutions used to show changes from acid to

Universal Indicator (paper or solution)

Learn Some Common Examples of Neutralisation:

Equations for this reaction:

Chemical Equation: HCl(aq) + NaOH(aq) ––––> NaCl(aq) + H2O(l)

General Equation: ACID + BASE/ALKALI ––––> SALT + WATER

LEARN THE DEFINITIONS:

Remember: Hydrochloric Acid makes Chloride salts e.g. NaCl

Phosphoric Acid makes Phosphate salts Na3PO4

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