CBSE Class 10 Science

Important Questions
Chapter 2
Acids Bases and Salts

3 Marks Questions

1. (a) Name the raw materials used is the manufacture of sodium carbonate by Solvay
process?

(b) How is sodium hydrogen carbonate from a mixture of

Ans. (a) Raw materials used are - lime stone or and

(b) Sodium hydrogen carbonate is sparingly soluble or less soluble in water and

it gets separated as a precipitate while NH4Cl remains in solution. This precipitate is

removed by filtration.

2. Write equations for the following reactions

(i) Dilute sulphuric acid reacts with zinc granules

(ii) Dilute hydrochloric acid reacts with magnesium ribbon.

(iii) Dilute sulphuric acid reacts with aluminum powder.

Ans. (i)

(ii)

(iii)

3. (a) An aqueous solution has a PH value of 7.0. Is this solution acidic, basic or neutral?

(b) If H+ concentration of a solution is mol what will be its P4 value?

(c) Which has higher PH value: or

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Ans. (a) The solution is neutral is nature

(b)

(c) 1 M NaOH solution (basic) higher PH. Value

1 M HCl solution (acidic) lower PH. Value

4. What will you observe when:

(i) Red litmus is introduced into a solution of sodium sulphate.

(ii) Methyl orange is added to dil HCl.

(iii). Blue litmus is introduced into a solution of ferric chloride

Ans. (i) It will undergo any colour change because solution of Na2SO4 is water is almost

neutral.

(ii) In the acidic solution, the colour of methyl Orange will change to reddish.

(iii) FeCl3 solution on reacting with water will form ferric hydroxide and hydrochloric acid.

Since the acid is strong, the solution will be acidic. Therefore the colour of blue litmus will
change to red.

5. A first aid manual suggests that vinegar should be used to treat wasp sting and
baking soda for bee stings.

(a) What does this information tell you about the chemical name of the wasp sting?

(b) If there were no baking soda in the house, what other house hold substances would
you use to treat as stings?

Ans. (a) The chemical present in the sting must be base because vinegar (acetic acid) is used

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to heal or neutralize the effect of wasp stings.

(b) Since bee stings are treated by backing soda which is a base it means they must contain
some acid. If baking soda is not available in the house, solution of ammonium hydroxide
NH4OH can be used for the same purpose.

6. Does Tartaric acid helps in making cake or bread fluffy. Justify.

Ans. No, tartaric acid does not evolve any carbon dioxide during baking. Its role is to react
with Na2CO3 formed when NaHCO3 decomposes.

If this not happens, Na2CO3 will impart a bitter taste to the cake.

7. Explain why?

(a) Common salt becomes sticky during the rainy season.

(b) Blue vittriol change to white upon heating.

Ans. (a) Common salt contains impurity of magnesium chloride (MgCl2) which is of

deliquescent nature. When exposed to atmosphere, it becomes moist. Therefore common salt
becomes sticky during the rainy season.

(b) Blue vitriol (CuSO4 5H2O) during heating changes to a anhydrous copper sulphate (CuSo4)

which is white in colour.

8. A compound X of sodium is commonly used in kitchen for making crispy pakoras. It

is also used for curing acidity in the stomach. Identify ‘X’. What is its chemical formula?
State the reaction that takes places when it is heated during cooking?

Ans. Compound X is a constitute of baking powder. It is also called as baking soda.

Chemically, the compound is sodium hydrogen carbonate with formula NaHCO3. Upon

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heating the compound X releases CO2 gas

2NaHCO3 (s) Na2CO3 (s) + H2O (l) + CO2 (g)

9. Explain why-

(i) Anhydrous calcium chloride is used in desiccators

(ii) If bottle full of concentrated is left open in the atmosphere by accident, the

acid starts flowing out the bottle of its own.

Ans. (a) Anhydrous calcium chloride is highly hygroscopic in nature it readily

absorbs moisture and is therefore used as drying agent.

(b) Concentrated sulphuric acid is highly hygroscopic it absorbs moisture from air and gets
diluted. Since the volume increases, the acid starts flowing out of the bottle.

10. How is plaster of Paris chemically different from gypsum? How may these be inter
converted? Write one use of plaster of Paris?

Ans. Plaster of Paris is different from Gypsum as it is prepared from heating gypsum. Plaster
of Pairs is a major constituent of surgical bandages used for setting fractured bones. Before
applying on fractured bone, it is made wet with water and as a result of hydration it changes
into gypsum which keeps the bones in position.

These may be interconverted by the reaction.

The use of plaster of Paris are-

(i) It is used for making modules or casts for toys pottery, ceramics etc.
(ii) In surgical bandages for setting fractured bones.

11. (a) What is the action of red litmus on

(i) Dry ammonia gas
(ii) Solution of ammonia gas is water?

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(b) State the observations you would make on adding ammonium hydroxide to aqueous
solution of
(i) furious sulphate
(ii) Aluminium chloride?

Ans. (a) (i) Red Litmus has no action on dry ammonia gas. Because it does not release any

hydroxyl ions

(ii) When it is passed through water is converted to ammonia hydroxide

It dissociates to give hydroxyl ions and the solution is basic in nature.

Red litmus acquires a blue colour.

(b) (i) A green precipitate of ferrous hydroxide will be formed by double decomposition
reaction.

(ii) A white precipitate of aluminum hydroxide will be formed by double decomposition

reaction

12. State the chemical property in each case on which the following uses of baking soda
are based
(i) As an antacid
(ii) As a constituent of baking powder.
Give the chemical for baking soda

Ans. (i) It is weakly alkaline is nature and neutralizes acid formed is the stomach.

(ii) It evolves in the form of bubbles when cake is made by baking. As a result, the cake

becomes porous as well as fluffy.

The chemical formula of baking soda is

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13. Metal compound ‘A’ reacts with dilute hydrochloric acid to produce
efferenvescence. The gas evolved extinguishes a burning candle. Write a balanced
chemical equation for the reaction, if one of the compounds formed is calcium
chloride.

Ans. As one of the compounds formed is calcium chloride, metal compound ‘A’ is salt of
calcium.
Burning candle is extinguished by carbon dioxide so carbon dioxide gas is produced by
reaction of ‘A’ with hydrochloric acid.
Carbon dioxide is produced by action of HCl on carbonate that means ‘A’ is calcium
carbonate.
CaCO3 + HCl CaCl2 + CO2 + H2O

14. Why do HCl, HNO3 etc. show acidic characters in aqueous solution while solutions of

compounds like alcohol and glucose do not show acidic character?

Ans. Compounds like HCl and HNO3 release hydrogen ions in solution, therefore they shows

acidic character.
While compounds like alcohol and glucose do not release hydrogen ions. Therefore they do
not show acidic properties.

15. You have two solutions ‘A’ and ‘B’. The pH of solution ‘A’ is 6 and pH of solution ‘B’ is
8. Which solution has more hydrogen ions concentration? Which is acidic and which
one is basic?

Ans. A solution having pH less than 7 is acidic and that having pH more than 7 is basic. So,
solution ‘A’ is acid and ‘B’ is basic. Naturally ‘A ‘which is acidic has greater concentration of
hydrogen ions concentrations.

16. Under what soil condition do you think a farmer would treat the soil of his field with
quicklime (calcium oxide) or slaked lime (calcium hydroxide) or chalk (calcium
carbonate).

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Ans. The farmer would treat the soil of his field with quicklime (calcium oxide) or slaked
lime (calcium hydroxide) or chalk (calcium carbonate) when field has become acidic to
neutralize the effect of acid.

17. Under what soil condition do you think a farmer would treat the soil of his field with
quicklime (calcium oxide) or slaked lime (calcium hydroxide) or chalk (calcium
carbonate).

Ans. The farmer would treat the soil of his field with quicklime (calcium oxide) or slaked
lime (calcium hydroxide) or chalk (calcium carbonate) when field has become acidic to
neutralize the effect of acid.

18. A milkman adds a very small amount of baking soda to fresh milk.

(a) Why does he shift the pH of the milk from 6 to slightly alkaline?

(b) Why does this milk take a long time to set a curd?

Ans. (a) The pH of milk changes from 6 to slightly alkaline on addition of a very small
amount of baking soda. This is because sodium hydrogen carbonate (baking soda) is basic in
nature. This prevents the milk from souring.

(b) Lactic acid formed as a result of fermentation is neutralized by sodium hydrogen

carbonate. This prolongs the time taken by milk to set as curd.

19. What is a neutralization reaction? Give two examples.

Ans. The reaction between an acid and a base to give salt and water is called neutralization
reaction.

For example:
NaOH + HCl NaCl + H2O

KOH + HNO3 KNO3+ H2O

20. Give two important uses of washing soda and baking soda.

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Ans. Uses of washing soda:
(i) As cleansing agent.
(ii) Removing permanent hardness of water.
(iii) Used in glass, soap and paper industries.

Uses of baking soda:

(i) For making baking powder.
(ii) As ingredient of antacid.

21. Compound P forms enamel of teeth. It is the hardest substance of the body. It does
not dissolve in water but it is corroded when pH in the mouth is below 5.5. How does
tooth paste prevent dental decay?

Ans. P = Bacteria present in the mouth produce acids by degradation of sugar

And food particles remaining in the mouth after eating. Using toothpastes, which Are
generally basic, for cleaning the teeth can neutralize the excess acid and prevent Tooth
decay.

22. The oxide of a metal M was water soluble when a blue litmus strip was dipped in

This solution, it did not go any change in colour. Predict the nature of oxide.

Ans. The Metal oxide (MO) is of basic in nature. It dissolve in water to form metal

Hydroxide as Blue litmus does not undergo any change in

Colour in the basic medium.

23. A road tanker carrying an acid was involved in an accident and its contents spilled
on the road, iron drain covers began melting and fizzing as the acid ran over them. A
Specialist was called to se if the acid actually leaked into the nearby river.

(a) Explain how the specialist could carry out a simple test to see if the river water
contains some acid or not.

(b) The word melting is incorrectly used in the report. Suggest a better name that

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should have been used.

(c) Explain why drain covers began fizzing as the acid rain over them.

Ans. (a) By dipping a strip of blue limos paper in to the sample of river water. If the colour
Changes to red this means that some acid has gone in to the river.

(b) Corrosion.

(c) Iron reacts with acid to evolve hydrogen gas.

24. A compound ‘A’ on heating at 370 K gives ‘B’ used as plaster for supporting fractured
Bones in the right position. ‘B’ on mixing with water changes to ‘A’. Identify ‘A’ and ‘B’
And write the chemical reaction.

Ans.

25. A student heated a few crystals of copper sulphate n a dry boiling tube.

(a) What will be the color of the copper sulphate after heating?

(b) Will you notice water droplets in the boiling tube?

(c) Where have these come from

Ans. (a) White

(b) Yes
(c) Copper sulphate crystals which seem to be dry contain water of crystallization.

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